Everything happens for a reason
by bethspore4
Summary: Kumiko is the new transfer student at Suzuran, not Bouya. She hides her identity as a girl and eventually becomes friends with Hiromi and his gang. This is the untold story of Yankumi in high school. But keeping secrets is tricky. CrowsXGokusen crossover.
1. Part 1: How Things Began

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,006 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 1: How Things Began

There was absolutely nothing good about being a transfer student, Kumiko decided. _You come in part way through the year,_ she thought angrily, _and everyone else already has comrades, and they stare you down, and try to judge whether you're a threat or not, and it always comes to a confrontation!_ Sighing, she turned to face the boy who had called out to her so rudely.

"Nande?" she asked, trying to mask her irritation. The last thing she needed was to end up in a fight with these guys on her first day. She felt tired at this whole situation. Only a second year, this was already her third high school since becoming a freshman. Thinking back to how she ended up here in the first place, she felt bitter.

First, it was Momo Gakuen; an all girls school in the middle of the city. Momo High was well known for its bouncy, cheerful, super-cute female students. Yamaguchi Kumiko was anything but, and it was quickly made apparent to her that she did not belong there. So, after punching a third year honors student in the face, she was "relocated".

The second school was co-ed, but still completely respectable. She just hated it there; the school, the oh-so-high-and-mighty teachers, and the snobby students who looked down on anyone they considered lower than themselves. _"Just because you're really smart or have tons of money doesn't mean you're the shit!" _she had shouted at them. Once again, she moved on, having taught some of her male sempais a lesson she thought they'd needed to learn.

Now she was here. Her grandfather had suggested this school, telling her she might find it more to her liking. Because she respected him so much, Kumiko had agreed to give it a shot, and she had to admit, the school had a strangely familiar atmosphere. I reminded her of home. It was still in the city technically, but definitely not the good part. Still, it was closer to where she lived than the others had been. _Suzuran,_ she thought smugly, admiring the name. _The school of crows. Will I fit in here?_ Suddenly reminded of where she was, Kumiko snapped out of her reverie and focused on her opponent.

"You're the new transfer student, Yamaguchi, right?" the boy asked gruffly. She nodded, choosing not to say anything. Sometimes keeping her mouth shut was the best option. It helped her from saying anything stupid.

"I heard you got kicked out of two schools already," he continued, smirking. "Rumor has it you were chucked for fighting, but I have trouble believing that." He advanced slightly but she didn't even bother to shift her position. If this idiot thought he could take her on, he had another thing coming. _What are you thinking?!_ she screamed at herself. _You're supposed to be keeping a low profile!_

_Shit! That's right,_ she thought angrily. _Damn it!_ Still, she had promised her grandfather she would keep out of trouble for at least a week, to give him some peace and quiet. Deciding there was nothing else to do, she reached up and scratched her head, brushing the shaggy short locks out of her eyes as she did. Trying to look puzzled, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Huh." _Great… brilliant Kumiko!_ she snapped. _Why don't you just stamp "baka" across your forehead?!_ "I really can't say that's what happened…" she made up quickly. The last thing she needed was for people at this school to try and find out stuff about her. They weren't supposed to know…

Her thoughts were once again interrupted by the loud-mouthed boy.

"You're just way to scrawny for fighting!" he mocked, pointing rudely at her, making other guys in the hallway turn to look as well. She heard some of them laugh and she tightened her fists angrily. Forcing herself not to rise to their taunts, she stood motionless and watched as the nasty boy left. Once he was out of sight and people had stopped paying attention to her, she slipped quietly down the hall and into the boy's bathroom, closing herself in a stall.

Picking up her thoughts where she had left them, she sat down on the toilet wearily. _They're not supposed to know I'm a girl,_ she reminded herself sternly. Reaching up again, she felt her painfully short hair with a sad sigh. At least she had kept it somewhat long; trimmed just above her chin. The men of her house had found it absolutely hilarious when she had come home with the new haircut.

If she was honest with herself, she did pass for a boy pretty well. She had never had any curves really, and her flat chest made her almost indistinguishable from any of the other guys here. At first she had considered wearing glasses, in case it would help hide her long eyelashes, but then decided that it didn't matter. _This is an all-boys school,_ she had told herself. _Nobody's going to be looking to see whether you have pretty eyes or not!_

Still, it wasn't as though she resented the change. Truthfully, Kumiko was so much of a tomboy that she didn't really relate to girls her age anyway. They always annoyed her, and guys at least weren't afraid to get dirty. Kumiko hated people who refused to work their hardest, and guys, she felt, were just more honest and hardworking. Growing up living in a household of all men had made her into a different type of person than your average girl.

However, like most girls, Kumiko did daydream, a _lot_, and this time was not different. Breaking out of her trance, she was startled to hear someone else come into the restroom. Keeping quiet, she listened as a man began talking and she realized there must be more than one person.

"I'm telling you, some of the first years are getting too out of control Hiromi!" the first man whispered urgently. "We need to do something about them before it gets out of hand!" The man called Hiromi sighed.

"Relax already, would ya? Everything's under control Pon. Don't you trust me?"

"Oh shut up, you know I do! I just don't like these little shits looking down on us like that!"

"They'll know not to mess with us soon enough. Right now, there's too much other stuff going on. We need to focus on conquering the second years." Kumiko continued to listen, fascinated. _This is what I need to know!_ she thought, excited. _Getting by in this school is going to be very interesting._ She smiled to herself. These things, at least, she understood very well. Factions were no new concept to her. She leaned against the stall door, trying to see through the crack while remaining undetected.

"Right," Pon continued, a smile evident in his voice. "Classes A and C are going to give us the most trouble, I think. From what I know of Kamiya in D, they might be willing to join if we get more support first. By the way, did you hear?"

"What?" Hiromi asked. Kumiko saw him look up.

"There's a new transfer student in our class starting today. His record says he's been kicked out of two other schools for fighting." _Jeeze!_ Kumiko huffed to herself. _Is this all I'm going to hear all day? I didn't even rough them up that bad!_

"Yeah, I heard. The name's Yamaguchi," Hiromi confirmed. "We'll talk to him today. Find out what kind of guy he is, and then see what we're dealing with. We don't need any conflict within our own class." Kumiko paused, going over what he had said in her mind. _I don't really need to make a name here,_ she thought. _They needn't bother, I'm probably just gonna stay out of the spotlight completely._ She was so absorbed that she didn't notice a pair of boots belonging to a third person stop silently outside the stall door. Before she realized what was happening, the door was yanked open and she went sprawling to the floor.

"What's this, Mako?" Pon asked teasingly, addressing the silent boy. Kumiko cursed under her breath as she stared up at a tall guy who was frowning down at her. Another boy in a surgical mask, Pon, squatted on the floor next to her face, claiming her attention. "And who might you be?" he inquired with a nasty grin. "One of our energetic freshman, intent on listening to our plans?" He jumped up suddenly and she rolled to the side on instinct to avoid the booted foot that came smashing down at her face.

"What's your problem, asshole?!" she yelled, quickly getting to her feet. Sensing the silent one, Mako, coming up behind her, she ducked to the side to prevent him from grabbing her around the neck. He missed. Crouching low and darting towards the empty corner near the door, she saw the other boy, Hiromi, moving to block the exit. Out of arms reach for the moment, Kumiko turned to face the three boys.

"What's your name?" Hiromi asked, looking her over critically. "I don't remember seeing your face before, even among the freshmen."

"That's because I'm not a freshman, genius!" she pointed out rudely. _Damn! Why can't I just keep my mouth shut sometimes?!_ "My name's Yamaguchi. I just transferred here." She stared pointedly at the three of them, letting them know that she had heard everything they said about her. Without warning, the boy called Pon burst out laughing.

"Honto ni?!" he gasped, "_You_ are the infamous Yamaguchi?" Kumiko shifted warily as he came up next to her and hung his arm around her shoulder, still laughing. Watching the three of them closely, she relaxed as she noticed none of them were positioned to attack. Shrugging as if it made no difference to her, she gently disengaged herself from Pon and walked towards Hiromi.

"So, you're the leader of our class?" she asked. He nodded, his face blank and unreadable. "Fine with me," she informed him, giving a wide, toothy smile. "You don't mind if I leave now do you?" He stepped aside and she slipped through the door without another word, glad to get away from them as quickly as possible. _At least I managed to keep my cool,_ she told herself approvingly. _Fighting those guys would have landed me on everyone's hit list, and I don't need to be making enemies in my own class on the first day._ Putting her hands in the pockets of her baggy black pants, Kumiko strolled leisurely towards her classroom.

Back in the bathroom, all three boys were looking at each other with serious faces.

"I guess that conversation came sooner than expected," Pon began, but Mako cut him off.

"I don't like this guy. Something's off," he said shortly, never one for words.

"Oh, come _on_!" Pon whined. "Did you see how tiny he was? That guy is no threat, and he doesn't seem like the type to refuse orders."

"I agree with Mako," Hiromi said quietly. "This Yamaguchi might not be here to make trouble, but I feel like he _could_ be trouble if it comes to a fight. Didn't you notice how easily he sidestepped the two of you?" he pointed out. Pon smirked again.

"Puh-lease! Until you can show me something more solid than that, I'm not gonna believe it," he declared. "We should introduce ourselves next time. Maybe he'd make a good underling?" Hiromi watched as his friend laughed again and sighed. Whatever the other two thought, he was pretty sure this Yamaguchi… _What was his other name? Whatever._ Yamaguchi didn't seem like someone they should just kick around.

_I'll keep an eye on him for now,_ he decided. _Waiting and watching will give me more information to work with._ Without another word, he too left the bathroom and headed for class, the other two close on his heels.


	2. Part 2: All In The Family

CrowsXGokusen FF – 1,694 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 2: All In The Family

Kumiko tapped her finger impatiently against her desk. There were few clocks in this school, and the ones they did have were broken or so covered in graffiti that it was impossible to read the time anyway. She smirked. _This is one crazy school I've come to._ It was almost the end of the day, and already she had witnessed three separate fights in her classroom alone, plus an additional one they had all watched out the window earlier.

Oddly, the fighting didn't bother her at all. _Maybe grandfather actually knew what he was doing when he sent me her, _she admitted. She felt fairly relaxed considering all that had happened. The teachers where basically a non-issue here, she had discovered. They were either too afraid to come into the classrooms or couldn't get anyone to listen to them. It really wasn't surprising considering the types of guys that attended this school.

It was weird, in a way. Kumiko looked around appraisingly at the sea of rebellious haircuts that surrounded her on all sides. Guys were joking around with each other, playing cards, reading manga, or facing off in a game of Bloody Knuckles. Everything she saw was familiar, even the tough, scary faces everyone wore. Sighing in relief as the dismissal bell finally rang, Kumiko got up and grabbed her bag.

It wasn't that she was anxious to get away from school, though that's probably what it looked like to her new classmates. Ignoring the snickers, she practically dashed out of the building and through the front gate in the direction of home. Being careful to make sure no one saw where she was going, she headed for the seediest part of town, deep into the mob of underground businesses that enclosed her home.

From the classroom window, Kirishima Hiromi watched as the new student Yamaguchi ran down the road and headed dead east. He wasn't stupid, he knew where that headed. He had headed there several times himself, but never as excitedly as Yamaguchi did now. _So, now I have a nice little mystery to keep my busy on the side,_ he thought, interested. Turning back to Mako and Pon, they made their own way out of the school together and headed west.

No, Kumiko wasn't anxious to leave her new school. In fact, she was merely excited to get home and tell everyone how her first day was. Knowing that Tetsu and Minoru would be home by now only made her run faster. _Damn those middle schoolers! _she thought, amused. _They have it so easy!_ Shouting hurried hellos to the shopkeepers calling out "Okairi, Ojou!" as she passed, Kumiko rounded the corner and dashed through the gate of the Oedo Family's house.

"Tadaima!" she yelled, kicking her shoes off at the door. She heard crashing sounds from within the house as people rushed towards the entrance to greet her.

"Okairi!" Leaping up the one step to the main floor, Kumiko ran forwards to meet the group of battle-hardened yakuza who greeted her. Stopping before them, she waited as they bowed to her, resting their heads respectfully on the floor. Getting up, Wakamatsu smiled welcomingly at her.

"How was your first day?" he asked gruffly. She shrugged, but smiled.

"It was alright. There were a couple run-ins with some of my classmates, but nothing serious happened." Wakamatsu's eyes narrowed, as did those of the rest of the men.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, his face slowly turning red. "They didn't try anything, did they?!"

"No, no," she assured him calmly. "Just your basic teenage fighting and stuff." Stepping past them into the hall, Kumiko peered into the living room, hoping to find her grandfather, the Kumicho. Seeing him seated in front of the doorway to the side-garden, his back to her, she snuck forward and was about to poke his shoulder when…

"Kumiko!" She jumped, startled as he suddenly called out her name. Pouting, she walked around him and sat so he could see her.

"How did you know I was there?" she complained. He chuckled.

"I think anyone within a kilometer of this house would have heard you come in. I don't think I've ever heard you make such a noisy entrance before." He smiled at her. "How was Suzuran?"

"Well," she began, "it was only my first day so I can't be sure, but I think I'm going to like it there!" The Kumicho's smile broadened as he saw his granddaughter's joyful expression. It had been a while since he had seen her come home from school without looking as though someone had just died. Hearing a noise from the other side of the room, they both turned in time to see two small heads disappear around the corner. Laughing, Kumiko jumped to her feet.

"Tetsu! Minoru!" she called. The two small heads reappeared, accompanied by small faces and small smiles. Running over to the doorway, Kumiko grabbed the two smaller boys and gave them each a rare hug. Usually she was strictly against such things, but today was different.

"Kumi-chan!" they complained in unison, though still smiling. Disregarding their protests, she pulled them into the room with her grandfather and they all sat down together. Waiting until they had settled themselves, the Kumicho resumed his conversation with Kumiko.

"Do you know why I sent you to Suzuran, Kumiko?" he asked. She shook her head, not understanding. "It's because I went there," he explained. "I didn't really want you to go there at first; I was hoping you would do well in some other school. But it seems you are more like me than I thought." Inside, Kumiko was bursting with each word he said, excited and nervous by his praise.

"I want you to do your best there, Kumiko," he continued, ignoring her as she fidgeted beside him. "If you can't survive Suzuran, then you're not the girl I raised." As he finished, Kumiko suddenly threw herself into his arms and gave him a large hug, which he returned without hesitation. After a moment, she jumped up, kissing him lightly on the forehead.

"Thank you, grandfather," she whispered. Hearing a sniff from the doorway behind her, she turned again, this time to see Wakamatsu and the others tearing up at the scene they had witnessed. Sighing exasperatedly, she turned to Tetsu and Minoru who were still seated on the floor, looking up at her.

"Be good and maybe you guys will get to go to Suzuran too!" she said, excitedly. "Wouldn't it be cool if we were in the same school together? I would be a third year and you two would be freshmen!" She grinned evilly down at them and their own smiles faltered a little. Laughing, Kumiko turned and stepped outside. "Come on! Lets go train or something!" she shouted, full of energy. Hearing snickering, she turned to see Tetsu and Minoru covering their mouths. Even her grandfather was looking at them with a puzzled expression.

"What is it guys?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's just," Minoru giggled, "we can't really take you seriously…"

"…dressed like that!" Tetsu finished. "You look like a boy!" he laughed, rolling on his side. Even the Kumicho cracked a smile before quickly covering it up with his "stern face".

"YOU TWO!" she yelled, pouncing on the two hysterical boys.

Later that evening…

Kumiko did feel better in her usual clothes, if a little odd from being dressed like a boy for so long. Clipping her bangs out of her eyes with matching butterfly clips, she really did look like a cute girl for a moment. But after seeing herself in the mirror, she jerked them back out again and replaced them with a simple hair band. Feeling more like herself now, she headed downstairs for dinner.

It was pot roast, of course. Pot roast was her favorite meal, and everybody knew it. Sitting at her usual place next to her grandfather, she clapped her hands together and bowed her head saying, "Itadakimasu!" Everyone followed suit and began serving themselves from the large bowls sitting on the table. It wasn't long before Tetsu and Minoru were arguing over who got the most meat, and the other men had begun to discuss the day's work. Putting her bowl down, Kumiko sat back and enjoyed watching her family eat and talk together.

"You know, Ojou," Wakamatsu began, "I also went to Suzuran as a high school student."

"Really?" she asked. "I had no idea!" Several of the other men raised their arms in the air and began revealing that they too had attended Suzuran before. Kumiko looked around at her family members, as though seeing them in a new light.

"So, I guess I'm really just following in everyone's footsteps," she said happily. She grinned at them reassuringly. She didn't mind following them at all.

When dinner was over, Kumiko decided to go for a walk while Tetsu and Minoru worked on their homework. _Ha! _she thought, triumphant at last. _They may get out before me, but at least I don't get any homework!_ I didn't bother her at all that she probably wouldn't be learning anything at this school. She had always thought academics where overrated anyway.

Strolling through the now empty streets, she marveled at how peaceful things were at night. The only people around were a few of the shopkeepers from before, closing up their storefronts for the night. Waving at her in recognition, they smiled. She smiled back. _For as long as I live, I don't think I'll ever get tired of this,_ she thought to herself. _I like everyone knowing who I am, and I like being able to help them out._

Continuing her strut through the maze of dirty alleyways, she hummed to herself, letting the cool night air rush over her. It was such a comfortable temperature. Breathing in the familiar stench of old food, sweat, and less pleasant things, Kumiko felt content. Finally heading back towards home, she waited outside the gate and sighed. _Never,_ she repeated with a smile.


	3. Part 3: Who Do You Fight For?

CrowsXGokusen FF – 1,930 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 3: Who Do You Fight For?

Day two, take one. Kumiko left the house earlier than she needed to, planning on getting to school ahead of time so she could interact and get to know some people. Standing just inside the doorway, she slipped into her outdoor shoes. Flexing her shoulders, she adjusted the fit of the black jacket and pants that were her uniform. Finally comfortable, Kumiko bowed goodbye to her family.

"Watch your back!" her grandfather called as she walked out through the front gate. Wakamatsu was walking with her this morning, just for part of the way, on some early business. Glad of the company, Kumiko yawned and smiled as she combed her fingers through her short hair.

"Ne, Wakamatsu," she began to ask.

"Yes, Ojou?" he responded immediately.

"Do you think I could ever take over the organization when I get older?" She glanced over at her companion and observed his usually impassive face shift. He sighed.

"That's something you should discuss with the Kumicho," he answered seriously. "I may be the second in command, but you know how these things usually pass from generation to generation." He paused for a moment, clearly debating what to say to her. "However," he continued, "it may be that the boss wants you to choose your own path, even if it's different from ours." Kumiko thought about what he had said, a slight frown crossing her face.

"I think you would make a great leader some day, Ojou," he reassured her. "You are strong in fights, more so than most of our men. And you care about people very much; you have the strength to make others follow you." He paused again, clearly contemplating the possibility. "Yes, I think you would be a great leader," he repeated softly, more to himself than to the girl next to him. Smiling at her, he bowed and then parted ways. With a whole new set of thoughts flowing through her head, Kumiko walked the last several blocks to school in silent deliberation.

Kirishima Hiromi watched silently as the transfer student talked quietly to a tall, mean looking man who was obviously a yakuza. Wondering what business Yamaguchi could have with him, he was surprised when he saw the man bow low to his new classmate before walking away. _Hmm,_ he thought. _It seems I was right in thinking this new student isn't one to be trifled with. He is obviously well respected by people we would do well to avoid._ He continued to watch as Yamaguchi walked closer and closer to the school, obviously lost in thought and not even noticing Hiromi leaning in the shadows nearby. Smirking at the boy's inattentive state, he used this opportunity to come up behind him slowly.

Without warning, Yamaguchi turned around and Hiromi almost walked right into him. The new student crossed his arms in front of him and widened his stance so that he was firmly situated in one place.

"Why are you following me?" he asked seriously. Hiromi, though taken aback, quickly recovered his composure. _I thought he was distracted!_ he thought to himself. _Definitely not as weak as he looks…_

"I wanted to introduce myself, since I wasn't able to yesterday," he explained carelessly as he stepped around Yamaguchi so that they were side by side, heads turned to face each other. "I'm Kirishima Hiromi." Kumiko relaxed her stance and turned around so they could continue the walk to school together.

"I'm Yamaguchi, but you already knew that," she replied. "Yamaguchi Kumiko. Yoroshkun." Kirishima bit back a retort, having almost suggested that the boy's name sounded more like a girl's than a guy's. _Focus Hiromi!_ he ordered himself silently. _Don't make enemies, make allies._

"Yoroshkun," he responded instead, smiling over at him. Kumiko smiled back. _Yes!_ she thought excitedly. _Maybe I'm on my way to making my first friend!_ Her elation soon turned sour though, as the other boy began to ask her questions. "Where did you go to school before?" he asked, interested. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out how much was safe to say.

"I just left Mishiro Gakuen¹, and before that I was in another school near there…" she trailed off vaguely. _It's not like I can say I went to an all girl's school anyway,_ she argued, _so it's a necessary lie!_ She frowned, in spite of herself. She hated lying. But Hiromi gave no indication that he thought her response was odd, so she relaxed again. Still walking together, they passed through the school gates and were almost immediately surrounded by the chaos and violence that was typical of most mornings at Suzuran.

"Come with me for a minute," Hiromi said as Kumiko began to walk off. "I want to introduce you to some people." Walking towards a large group of guys lounging by an outdoor stairwell, she followed Hiromi eagerly. "Guys," he began as they reached the group, turning so they could see her, "this is Yamaguchi Kumiko, the new transfer student." Pon let out a muffled snicker and Hiromi frowned at him pointedly. Kumiko ignored him.

"Yamaguchi, these are some of my guys. Most of them are in our class. That's Honjou Toshiaki," he pointed at Pon who waved, "and Sugihara Makoto." He pointed to the tall silent boy who had yanked open the stall door. "You met both of them yesterday," he continued, grimacing as though uncomfortable at the memory.

Hiromi then proceeded to introduce her to most of the other guys, pointing to each of them in turn as he said their name. A few of them smiled at her; most kept their stony expressions in place and tried to stare her down. Smirking, she returned their glares with her own, enjoying it when she saw a few of them flinch. After she had been formally introduced to what felt like their entire class, Hiromi turned to her again.

"So that's about everyone you should know for now. These guys are the ones who'll be fighting with you when we go up against the other classes." Kumiko cocked her head to the side as though confused, making Hiromi sigh. "You know," he tried to explain, "When we start fighting to conquer the rest of the second years?" He frowned when she still looked puzzled.

"Look Yamaguchi, this is the most important thing you need to know about Suzuran: there is _always_ fighting. You'll fight over small things and big things, but it all comes down to who rules the Crows. The man who makes it to the top is the most powerful guy in this city, and that's something a lot of guys here are aiming for." He took her aside, ignoring the cheeky smiles of their classmates who seemed to be amused by the new student's complete ignorance.

"I'm aiming for the top as well," he continued seriously, "and when I do, I'll need all my men to support me." Kumiko smirked, once again forgetting to think before she spoke.

"And what makes you so sure I'm willing to be one of 'your men'?" she asked outright. There was a moment of silence as Hiromi stared at her, trying to decide how to approach the situation he had so desperately wanted to avoid. _Good job, Kumiko,_ she thought sarcastically. _Now you've put their back up instead of just making nice. It's not like you have something to prove to these guys, so just agree to go along with it!_

"Sorry," she said quickly before Hiromi could respond. "That's not what I meant." She tried to collect her thoughts this time and think about what she wanted to say. The class looked on expectantly, few of them shifting anxiously. Pon's eyes were locked on her, his expression deadly. Mako feigned indifference.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm not really the type to fight for someone I hardly know. If I'm going to have your back, I want to know whether you'll have mine too, before I'll commit to anything. Besides," she laughed nervously, "I promised my family I wouldn't fight this week, so I can't really be of help." She swallowed, trying to soothe her dry throat. _I hope that's good enough for them,_ she wished silently, waiting for Hiromi's reaction. _It's the truth anyway. I'm not about to put my life on the line for someone who's not a true comrade._

That being decided, she looked the boy squarely in the eyes as if to reinforce her point. Hiromi sighed again, feeling as though he now understood the guy at least a bit. _This is someone, _he realized, _who isn't going to be won over by a show of strength alone._

"I guess we're just going to have to become friends first then," he answered softly. _Pon may think I'm being an idiot, and Mako might disagree, but I still think Yamaguchi is going to be someone we'll want on our side when the time comes. He hasn't shown us his true colors yet, but I still feel like he shouldn't be underestimated._ Unfortunately, any further thoughts he might have had were interrupted by an angry yell from across the yard.

"HEY! Kirishima!" It was Fukagi, the leader of class 2A. Kumiko immediately registered the long lead pipe that he carried, somewhat hidden behind his back. As he walked towards their group, she saw that he led his own group of just as many men: some carrying lead pipes like their leader, others with nothing more than their fists to aid them. She grimaced; she hated people who didn't fight fair and thought they needed to use weapons to win. Apparently Hiromi felt the same.

"What is it, Fukagi?" he shouted back, though it really wasn't necessary since they were now so close to each other. "You're afraid to fight us without your metal toys? That's cool, right guys?" He glanced back at his men, as though inquiring. A few flexed or cracked their knuckles. Hiromi grinned and turned back to face his adversary. "We'll take you on, and beat some manners into you as well!"

_Well said!_ Kumiko thought to herself. She could already feel her blood boiling with the urge to begin fighting these guys who dared challenge them. But something was tugging at the back of her brain, as though trying to remind her of a forgotten promise. _Oh…_ she remembered. _No fighting… _Meanwhile, Fukagi had already advanced on Hiromi with his pipe.

Swinging it above his head, he yelled, "DON'T TAKE US SO LIGHTLY, YOU BASTARD!" Kumiko froze and watched as the pipe whipped through the air towards Hiromi's head, making a sound like wind through a tunnel. She needn't have worried however, because the boy easily sidestepped the attack and seized his chance to counterattack.

With a series of quick punches to the chest, he caught Fukagi off guard and set him up for the inevitable: as a booted foot came soaring towards his head at an extreme velocity, Kumiko saw the look of terror in Fukagi's face. But it was gone in an instant as he went tumbling to the ground.

It took only seconds for the sea of silent onlookers to erupt into a battlefield of chaos as both classes began to fight in earnest.

¹ Mishiro Gakuen is the school attended by Fujimaru Takagi in Bloody Monday. I just picked it because I couldn't think of any other co-ed high schools while I was writing this…


	4. Part 4: Big Things In Small Packages

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,401 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 4: Big Things In Small Packages

Kumiko was amazed at the sudden onset of attack. Within moments, it seemed like everyone around her was completely immersed in the fight. Remembering her promise to her grandfather, she slowly backed out of the midst of the chaos and tried to observe the battle without getting involved. She should have known it would be impossible.

As the fight intensified, an extremely tall boy walked by the gate, glancing into the schoolyard. The boy, third year Hayashida Megumi, watched his mobilized classmates with a bored expression. In general, he found their antics pointless and uninteresting. Kirishima was throwing punches left and right, furiously knocking out anyone brave enough to come within arm's reach of his flailing fists. Beside him, his usual cronies, Honjou and Sugihara, were taking on just as many opponents. Megumi vaguely registered that the fight seemed to be between classes 2A and 2B. It looked as though Fukagi had already been defeated; he was lying motionless nearby.

About to move on, he noticed one student who appeared to be trying to avoid the conflict. A short, scrawny looking kid with chin-length hair that he had never seen before was standing awkwardly just outside the mob of brawling teenagers. It was his expression that puzzled Megumi the most: it wasn't fear or anxiety as he would have expected. Instead, the boy looked as though he was desperate to join in the fighting, but at the same time refused to for some reason the third year couldn't fathom.

Still standing near the gate, the he watched as one of the 2A fighters broke loose from the pack and started making his way towards the lone boy. Megumi shook his head, thoroughly sick of the whole ritualized ordeal. He had seen it many times before, and he even felt a momentary swell of pity for the unknown boy who was about to be beaten to a pulp by his much larger attacker. _It's always the big ones picking on the small ones,_ he thought, disgusted. Looking away, he continued to walk past the school, only to be paused yet again, moments later, by a thunderous smashing sound.

Using his extreme height to peer easily over the wall surrounding the schoolyard, he glanced around looking for the source of the noise. The bulk of the brawling students had clearly not noticed a thing, but Hayashida's eyes soon locked on the scrawny student he had been watching before. He was no longer facing an attacker. Instead, he was glaring up at the sky and shaking his fists as though angry at Kami-sama. Lying almost five meters away from him, among the broken remains of what had been a bench, was the 2A student who had approached him so aggressively less than twenty seconds ago.

"Damn it!" the boy shouted, jamming his hands roughly into his pockets. He suddenly lashed out at a nearby metal garbage can; kicking it with such force that the side of it crunched inward before it went flying across the pavement. Megumi watched in silence as the boy walked into the school with a frustrated expression. In front of the building, Hiromi and the others were still fighting madly, completely oblivious to what the third year had just witnessed.

_What the hell just happened? _he wondered, shocked in spite of himself. _There's no way that kid did that with a single hit!_ But after thinking about it for several minutes, he could come up with no other plausible conclusion. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of his sudden interest, Megumi continued his walk. _Either way, it's got nothing to do with me,_ he decided. _Strong or not, he'd be no match._ And without giving it another thought, he was past the school and out of sight.

Meanwhile, the brawl between classes 2A and 2B was drawing to a close. The bulk of Hiromi's fighters had remained standing and were working on finishing off their remaining opponents. The leading trio were themselves seated on a low wall nearby, whose original purpose had probably been to hem in a small garden, but which now served as a graphitized makeshift bench for the students. The three boys observed their victory with bored expressions, clearly unimpressed by the relative weakness of their attackers.

Nevertheless, all three sported a variety of scratches and bruises; Pon's left eye was beginning to swell shut, giving him a slightly grotesque appearance, while Mako's upper lip bled sluggishly, staining his teeth red. It was Hiromi alone who looked the least injured.

"One class down," Pon croaked harshly, his breath coming out in short gasps. Hiromi nodded absently, instead focused on his men's activities. He was very carefully searching with his eyes among both the active fighters and the unconscious bodies for one particular person. "I told you that new guy would be no help," Pon continued scornfully, ignorant to Hiromi's musings.

"What do you mean?" the leader asked quickly, looking over at his friends.

"Before things got too intense," Pon relayed with a self-satisfied smirk, "I saw him backing out of the way. He wasn't planning on fighting with us." The boy pointed to an empty area of the yard, indicating where he had last seen Yamaguchi. Mako was looking around intently.

"He's not out here," he observed quietly. Hiromi only dimly registered what his friends had said. At the moment, he was too distracted by the sight of a large 2A student who was lying prone in a pile of smashed wood and disfigured metal. He was far from the rest of the fighters, much closer in fact to the spot where Pon had last seen Yamaguchi. Following his gaze with their own, his friends soon also spotted the lone soldier.

"Whoa," breathed Pon, amazed in spite of himself. "Whoever did in that guy must have some serious strength! The whole bench is smashed to pieces!" Hiromi glanced around and noticed a large metal trash can that lay crumpled across the yard. He distinctly remembered seeing it upright and undamaged earlier that morning.

"Hey," he asked, turning back to his friends. "You don't think maybe Yamaguchi did that? I mean, if you saw him over there earlier, then he would have been the only one around to have beaten that guy. Look at where everyone else is… It's the only thing that makes sense." Pon furrowed his brow, deep in thought. He may not think much of the new student, but he also wasn't about to ignore something so obvious.

"I guess it's possible," he admitted, looking wary. "But where is he now?" Hiromi looked back towards the school, lost in thought. Mako stood up suddenly, surprising the both of them.

"Let's find him and ask what happened," he suggested simply, taking a step towards the building. The other two boys quickly jumped up and followed him inside. _I feel like we need to get to the bottom of this,_ Hiromi thought seriously. He wasn't concerned just now about what the rest of his guys were doing; they knew where to find him once they were done. _Right now, talking to Yamaguchi is more important. Besides, we won that fight with no contest._ He smirked to himself. He was one step closer to his goal.

Inside the classroom, Kumiko was lying with her head on her desk, methodically beating her fists against its top in frustration. _Why? Why? Why?_ she asked herself with each hit. _Why is it so hard to stay out of a fight for just seven days?_ She felt like kicking something again. Kumiko was in fact most angry with herself for her lack of self-control and less worried about what her grandfather would say when he found out. She took it as a sign of weakness that she couldn't keep herself from fighting for even a week.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice it at first when the door slid open, revealing three familiar figures framed in the doorway. Hearing someone cough, she turned her head slowly to see Hiromi, Pon, and Mako staring down at her. Unwilling to start a conversation with them in her current state, she rested her head back on the desk and resumed her pounding. Kirishima sighed and sat down at the desk in front of her.

"Ne, Yamaguchi?" he began. Pon and Mako came up to stand beside her desk. She ignored them. "We need to ask you… Were you the one who took out that guy lying on the bench outside?" He waited, but she didn't say anything. She was too emotional right now, and felt that anything she said would cause problems. Pon was getting restless and irritated by her silence.

"OI! Answer us!" he shouted at her. When she still refused to acknowledge them, he lost it and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder. Kumiko jumped up so fast, he was almost knocked backwards in shock. Instead, she swung her arm around to grip his shoulder as well and with one simple movement, flung him bodily from her. Pon went crashing into some of the nearby desks as he spun wildly out of control, before landing in an undignified heap on the floor. Hiromi raised his eyebrow, knowing full well that the new student hadn't hurt Pon. Mako, however, was less calm.

With a roar, he launched himself at Kumiko who nimbly stepped out of the way, and with a graceful turn, landed a well-placed kick on the larger boy's back, sending him flying along his intended path. He gasped as he hit the chalkboard, winded by the force of his impact. Still, Hiromi did nothing. He understood that his classmate's current mood was a dangerous one, and he already felt as though his question had been answered. However, thanks to their actions, Kumiko was no longer able to contain herself.

"YEAH, ALRIGHT?" she yelled at him. "It was me, are you happy now? Cause I'm not! I wasn't supposed to fight this week! Don't you get that?" _Of course he doesn't get that, baka!_ she told herself angrily_. Why would he understand something you never even explained to him?_ But Hiromi didn't look upset by her outburst, merely curious.

"So, you don't like fighting… but you're good at it?" he asked, trying his hardest to understand. She laughed at him.

"No, you idiot!" Mentally, she understood that she was being rude but she was too annoyed to stop by this point. "I don't mind fighting at all! I love it! But I am the kind of person who likes to keep their promises, and your stupid little war ruined that for me!" She kicked out at a chair in frustration. Hiromi nodded, masking his irritation at her scorn of their "stupid little war". _He'll learn soon enough that it isn't something he can avoid,_ he thought smugly, getting off of the desk.

"Sorry that you had to break your promise, but it was self defense," he reasoned. "Your family can't get mad at you when you didn't start it." She shrugged, not about to admit that he might be right. She was still upset with herself for caving in and throwing punches when she could have easily sidestepped the lot of them. Hearing groans, Kumiko glanced around and sighed as she saw Pon and Mako getting to their feet. She was starting to feel guilty.

"Go…gomen," she mumbled, averting her eyes. Pon, always the first to get over things, shrugged as if it was no big deal and shot her a smile.

"That's some superior strength you've got there, Yamaguchi," he informed her, whistling. "I take back everything I said before about you being weak and scrawny. You've _got_ to help us out now. With you, we'll take the top for sure!" Hiromi gave an exasperated sigh and looked over at his friend. _Pon really does have a one track mind,_ he thought, amused.

Mako stood silently in the corner of the room, leaning against the chalkboard Kumiko had kicked him into. He didn't say anything, but seemed to be satisfied about something. Hiromi had been friends with the boy long enough to reasonably guess at what he was thinking. From the way he stood and eyed the new student, he could tell Mako agreed with Pon and that his previous reservations about Yamaguchi had nearly all disappeared.

"So," Hiromi began, "are we all cool now? I'd like for you to get along with us Yamaguchi. I agree with Pon when I say we could use you…" She glanced around at the three of them. The fact that they had put up with her rotten attitude so far and were willing to forgive her for tossing them around meant a lot. _I could probably be good friends with these guys,_ she thought. _They seem to be pretty straight forward, and I like that._

"I'd like to get along with you guys too," she answered carefully, "but I stick by what I said before." They looked at her, confused. "I said I wouldn't fight for just anybody." She took a deep breath. "Can we be friends? If we were, I would be happy to fight alongside you." Hiromi stopped himself from grinning and forced a stoic look onto his face; Pon was more enthusiastic.

"Yeah! You can totally hang out with us! Right guys?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer as he threw his arm around Kumiko's shoulder and began dragging her from the room. "Just wait, we'll be comrades before you know it!" Hiromi started to follow them out of the classroom, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Mako quizzically.

"I think he's a good guy," the tall boy confessed, "but I still feel like something's off. Let's be friends, but still keep an eye on him, ne?" Hiromi nodded, feeling as though Mako was right. _Let's make him feel at home here,_ the decided. _When he's comfortable with us, maybe then we'll be able to find out… whatever it is._ He frowned. He didn't like being kept in the dark, but even more he didn't like the elusive feeling that he was missing something important. _Yamaguchi isn't like the rest of us,_ he realized, _in more ways than one._


	5. Part 5: New Plans

CrowsXGokusen FF – words 2,163 (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 5: New Plans

"Okairi!" Minoru and Tetsu called as she kicked off her shoes in the entrance way.

"Tadaima!" she answered back, still smiling after her afternoon with the guys. Admittedly, it had been more fun that she would have expected, just hanging around the city. They had stopped in a diner-style shop later in the afternoon and gotten a bite to eat, so she wasn't really hungry like usual. It had been surprising to her, but she had actually found interacting with Hiromi, Mako, and Pon to be relatively easy and comfortable once they had cleared up their initial misunderstanding. Like she had noticed before, her classmates reminded her in general of her family; that in itself was comforting. For Yamaguchi Kumiko, the infamous 'problem child' of multiple schools, this was as close to making new friends as she had come in a long time.

"Guess who's back?" Wakamatsu grunted from where he lounged in an adjoining room.

"Who?" Kumiko asked, peering over the heads of her more than excited younger 'brothers'. Suddenly, a familiar face revealed itself from around the corner and everyone winced as Kumiko yelled, "Kyo-san!"

Grinning cheekily at his charge's greeting, the rumored "young-boss" of the Kuroda Family waved casually in acknowledgment and motioned for the girl to join him in the kitchen where he was already working on pulling something together for dinner.

"When did you get out? Did we know you were getting out?" Kumiko gushed as soon as Kyo had resumed chopping vegetables.

"No, they released me just this morning for good behavior," he explained with a wink. Kumiko looked suspiciously at him, but then chose to ignore any implication he might have been making for the opportunity to plague him with questions, and details about what he had missed.

"So, what was it like being on the inside? Is it true they make you share a cell with rivals? I got kicked out of Mishiro by the way, but otherwise you didn't miss much. I'm at Suzuran now. But really, how did you keep from going nuts in there? What did you do to pass the time? Did you get into any fights?

"Good behavior, _good_ behavior I said," Kyo sighed, amused. "And no, I didn't have to bunk with anyone too awful. Just some weird foreign guy… Wait a minute! Why did you get expelled, and how are you going to an all boys school?" He paused for a moment before apparently noticing something. "And what happened to your hair?" It was Kumiko's turn to sigh.

"It was just some of the male sempais giving me a hard time, so I gave 'em a hard time back! I guess they were just all talk in the end anyways… And Grandpa's the one who signed me up for the new place. It's closer to home, and I've already started to make some new friends!" she explained excitedly. Kyo still looked unconvinced, but dropped any further protests in favor of interrogating her about these so called "friends".

"So… What are these people like? The ones you hung out with?" he asked after she had explained about her afternoon, knowing from personal experience the types of boys that peopled the infamous School of Crows.

"Ok, I guess. Being there is nice; it's a lot like being at home." Kyo frowned, not sure he liked the comparison. "Hiromi is kind of like the kumichou of my homeroom, and his goal is to be the boss of the whole school. His two friends, Pon and Mako, are like his second-in-commands. Mako's kind of weird and Pon talks too much," she made a face, "but they seem nice enough. And they asked me to hang with them, which turned out to be pretty fun."

"Good for you, Ojou!" Wakamatsu called, coming in to help with the meal. She smiled in response.

"Thanks!" Seeing Tetsu and Minoru peering around the door frame, she bounded over and flicked them teasingly on the foreheads before dashing upstairs to her room. "I'm gonna get changed!" she yelled as she slammed her door behind her. Quickly stripping off her plain black pants and jacket, Kumiko donned a pair of loose green cargo shorts and beige graphic-T before running back downstairs. She rushed excitedly into the large room where they had their meals; tonight, everyone would eat together in celebration of Kyo's return.

Kumiko slowed down upon approaching the table and retained a controlled demeanor as she took her place on the floor at the corner of the table, at her grandfather's left hand. Kyo carried in a serving dish and set it down before quickly taking the seat at the kumichou's right hand. When everyone had settled, they looked to the boss, who paused, then clapped his hands together and bowed his head.

"Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu!" everyone chorused in response, before reaching for the food in a mad scramble that was typical of meals in the Oedo household. However, it wasn't too long before the chaos calmed and everyone was busily eating. Kumiko smiled as she slurped up her noodles. She had forgotten how good Kyo's cooking could be. Looking across the table, she grinned and gave him the thumbs up. Next to her, her grandfather cleared his throat.

"Kumiko," he began. She turned to look at him instead, as did Kyo. "How was school today?"

"Great Grandpa!" she exclaimed, elaborating about her afternoon with her new friends. When she had finished, Ryuuichirou nodded and appeared lost in thought for a moment before turning to speak with Kyo.

"It seems to me that Kumiko will have some extra time on her hands while attending Suzuran. When she is not engaged with her new friends, I would like you to take her with you in your evening duties." Kyo glanced at Kumiko and then back at his boss.

"Is there something going on, sir?" he asked carefully. The Kumichou sighed, looking slightly troubled.

"While you were away, there have been a few minor incidents around our borders that I'd like you to look into now that you're back," he explained quietly so that only the young master and his granddaughter could hear.

"What kinds of incidents, sir?" Kyo pressed.

"Nothing extensive, but a few of the businesses on our territory have been harassed by some unidentifiable thugs. Right now, it is still unclear if they are members of a rival family. I sincerely hope they are not. However," he paused and took a sip from his glass, looking around at his men who were continuing to eat hungrily, "if they are, or if they are simply some young troublemakers who need handling, it is our duty to assure our neighbors of our protection." Kyo nodded, understanding but still concerned about one aspect of his assignment.

"And Ojou?" he asked quietly. Ryuuichirou glanced at his granddaughter once again, smiling at the expectant look on her face.

"This will be an excellent opportunity for Kumiko to gain some experience, and I see no one more fit to instruct her than you Kyotaro."

"Yes boss," Kyo replied, also looking at his charge. He could see in her eyes that they shared similar excitement at the prospect of the work ahead of them. Inside, Kumiko was doing a happy dance. _Yes!_ she cheered silently to herself. _Making new friends AND getting to spend time with Kyo every evening… This ROCKS!_

"Not so fast Kumiko," her grandfather admonished, almost able to see her imagination rocketing into overdrive. "Would you like to explain the state of your hands to me?" Kumiko glanced at the appendages in question and grimaced at the light, but still visible, bruising on her knuckles. Looking bashful, she nervously raised her head to meet her grandfather's stern gaze.

"Self-defense?" she offered meekly.

The next morning, Hiromi made a point of waiting in the shadows near where he had run into Yamaguchi the previous day. The mystery of the new transfer student was becoming a nice way to occupy his free time. He hoped that today, if his intuition was correct, the boy would emerge from the same area and direction as the previous day. It turned out he didn't need to wait very long. After only a few minutes of standing and casually observing the street, Kirishima spotted a Suzuran uniform supported by a familiar scrawny kid with chin-length hair. The only difference was that today, Yamaguchi was walking with a different Yakuza.

This man was tall and wild looking, with a fierce looking scar that stretched across his left eye and a bone-chilling grimace that seemed permanently etched onto his face. Something about him made the 2B leader shiver in spite of himself. As he watched, the scarred Yakuza and his classmate stopped several yards away and seemed to be finishing up a conversation. A few moments later, the two bumped fists in a friendly goodbye before walking in different directions; the Yakuza man back into town and Yamaguchi towards Kirishima.

As the smaller boy approached, Hiromi stepped away from his shadowy wall and fell in step beside his recently acquired friend, who hid a slight grimace. _Did he see Kyo?_ Kumiko wondered nervously, but her classmate gave no indication that he had and she slowly relaxed. Decidedly cheerful, she turned to him slightly and issued a small wave with an accompanying greeting.

"Ohaiyou, Kirishima-san!" she offered politely, still subconsciously trying to make up for her rudeness the previous day. The taller boy chuckled.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday to just call me Hiromi?" he said playfully. "We're friends now, so skip the formal talk."

"Right, right," she muttered, smiling a bit. Hiromi coughed slightly, as if clearing his throat.

"So did you get in any trouble with your family?" he asked. At the boy's confused look, he elaborated. "You know, for fighting?"

"No, I pulled your line," Kumiko smirked. The boy raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Self-defense, right?" she reminded him.

"Right," he laughed as they walked through the school gates. Inside the school grounds, the pair quickly met up with Mako and Pon before heading to the corner of the property where the rest of the class was waiting for something.

"Class meeting," Honjou whispered to Kumiko as they approached. "Hiromi's idea. He wants us to have them regularly, to keep us all on the same page. Though they're boring as fuc-" He cut himself short at a glare from their leader and Kumiko couldn't help but chuckle. Pon stuck his tongue at her.

"Alright guys," Hiromi said once everyone was gathered. "As a result of yesterday's fight, class 2A has joined our ranks." There were a mix of cheers and jeers to this announcement, and Kirishima paused to let them die down before he continued. "There's still a long way to go though before the school is ours. We'll take on 2C next, and if negotiations don't go as planned," he glanced at Pon and Mako, "2D will be next. Then the only thing in our way will be the seniors."

"What about Rindaman?" someone called from the back of the group. Hiromi paused and Kumiko took the opportunity to roll the unfamiliar name around in her mouth. _Rindaman?_ she thought, puzzled. _Never heard…_

"We'll take him down as well when the time comes," the leader continued calmly. There was a rustle of uncertainty at his words.

"Not even Genji could best him though," someone muttered in disbelief. Kirishima frowned.

"Forget him!" he snapped, and the group fell silent again. "Leave Rindaman to me and focus on the task at hand."

"Rindaman?" Kumiko whispered to Pon, who still stood next to her and looked vaguely worried.

"Third year monster," Honjou explained quietly. "He doesn't participate in the war, but the school is still unconquered with him as an independent. The closest person who ever came to ruling this school was Takiya Genji, a fearsome dude who graduated last year. He fought Rindaman several times, even the day he graduated, but could only land a couple hits at most. The guy's inhuman…" Pon trailed off as his gaze lit upon a student entering the grounds.

Kumiko glanced behind her and saw students fleeing in all directions in the wake of a mountainous boy, clad in the school uniform, who stepped hesitantly through the school gates. Something in his eyes seemed sad to her as he watched everyone run from him. With an expressionless look on his face, he walked up to the building and disappeared inside.

"That was him," Mako said softly, coming up on Kumiko's other side.

"Rindaman," she breathed, acutely aware of the dead silence that had fallen over the school and the grounds alike. _I hope we meet soon_, she thought pleasantly. She wasn't naive in thinking she wanted to make friends with this kid, just determined. And when the Oedo Family's granddaughter became determined about something, she usually got her way.


	6. Part 6: True Men

**IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: Unfortunately for you, I went backwards through the story and made some changes. They're minor, but if you don't read them then parts of this chapter will make zero sense to you. I apologize profusely for doing this, but I truly believe it makes the plot just slightly more interesting and allows me to set up some great scenes in future chapters. (stay tuned!) Anyways, if you want to fully appreciate this chapter (which I think is a really good one) then could you please begin re-reading the story from chapter 4? Again, I am SO sorry for asking you to do this…**

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,218 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 6: True Men

Break time in the early afternoon was quickly becoming Kumiko's favorite part of the school day, and for one reason: because that's when things finally got started. There was little to do during classes but sit and wait for them to be over. But once they were…

To put it simply, Suzuran students did not enjoy being cooped up in a classroom for most of the day, and by the time a break came around, everyone was feeling a bit punchy; often literally. At the bell, chaos was unavoidable as what felt like the entire school emptied itself onto the grounds, every guy eager to let loose some pent up energy. Kumiko waited at her desk for the ruckus to clear slightly before making her way downstairs and out, keeping her eyes out for Hiromi and the gang.

When she spotted them in the corner of the yard, Pon quickly motioned her over with a grin. Returning it with one of her own, she hurried over to them. At almost the same time she reached her new friends, so did a small group of boys, all of whom seemed slightly older than the second years. _Things are about to get interesting_, her instincts screamed at her.

"Kirishima," one of them spoke to the class 2B leader, skipping any formal greeting. "You've done it this time!"

"And what is it I've done exactly, Fukagi?" Hiromi challenged. Kumiko blinked, confused. _Fukagi?_ she thought. _Wasn't that the guy…?_ Suddenly she spotted a familiar face peeking out from behind the speaker and it clicked.

"You're gonna pay for messing up my cousin's face the other day," the older boy continued. Hiromi sighed, seemingly bored by the conversation.

"He just got what was coming to him, and I was even courteous enough to let him attack first," he replied evenly. Kumiko frowned and bit her lip in an attempt to stay silent. It offended her sense of honor to see the demoted class 2A leader having his older relative argue with the man who beat him up.

"It's not like it was an unfair loss," she muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, her words were not missed by the senior Fukagi.

"What did you say, bastard?!" he growled, taking a threatening step forward. Kumiko felt herself seethe at the insult.

"Just what I meant, asshole!" she shouted back. Beside her, Honjou let out a small groan. Ignoring him, she continued, "Your idiot cousin was even too chicken to fight bare handed, and Hiromi still bested him! How can you even call yourself a man? Cowering like that behind a bigger guy…" she accused the younger boy, crossing her arms in disgust. He flinched slightly and turned his bruised face to the pavement in embarrassment while the guys accompanying the Fukagi's shifted uncomfortably at her words. Kirishima quickly stepped in between the two as the upperclassman growled threateningly.

"Either way," he stated calmly, "we're not planning on fighting the seniors just yet. Why don't we save this argument for a later time." Mako and Pon stiffened as Fukagi sidestepped their leader and grabbed a hold of Yamaguchi's shirt collar.

"It won't be so easy to get rid of us after everything you're little friend just said," he barked. Kumiko raised her eyebrows and coolly detached herself from the rather weak grip on her clothes.

"Then let's settle this now," she offered, gesturing around her vaguely. "I'm not about to back down from a scumbag and his loser cousin if they've got the guts to challenge me!" Before she could take a step forward, she felt Hiromi's hand on her shoulder and glanced up apprehensively.

"Make sure you know what you're doing," he murmured softly. "Taking them out won't affect our standing with the rest of the seniors since he isn't a class leader and was also the one who initiated the challenge, but this Fukagi isn't as weak as his 'loser cousin'. We'll back you up if you need it, Yamaguchi." She felt somewhat surprised and something akin to a warm feeling flared briefly in her gut. Glancing behind her, she saw Mako and Pon nod in agreement, their faces serious. Cracking her knuckles, she turned back to her opponents and motioned for them to begin.

Fukagi twitched his head in a signal for his men to attack. As two, much larger guys came up on either side of her, Kumiko evened out her stance for the best defensive position. The seniors smirked at her, pausing for a split second before coming at her from opposite sides. Kumiko dropped easily to avoid the simultaneous punches and shifted her weight to her left foot, preparing to launch an angled kick at the attacker on her right side. _Seriously?_ she thought, unimpressed. _Their moves are so predictable, this almost isn't any fun_.

A sickening snap could be heard as her foot connected with the underside of the boy's jaw, propelling him several feet into the air, and backwards a considerably distance. Before he could land, she had already disarmed the other man by tripping him while he stumbled from his earlier misplaced hit. As he fell, she shot a single punch to the side of his head and sent him flying sideways into the wall that enclosed the school grounds. Wiping her hands as if she had touched something dirty, Kumiko turned to face Fukagi.

The senior stepped forward in front of his remaining guys, shaking out his shoulders in preparation to fight. _At least you've got the guts to face me_, she thought, amused. _But no matter_.

"I'll finish this with one punch!" she declared with a smirk, holding up a single finger as if to prove her point. Fukagi roared in fury at her insulting hand gesture and charged, swinging his fist in a wide and powerful punch that may have actually hurt had it hit its intended target. As it so happens, it did not. With a grin, Kumiko ducked under the offending arm and revealed her signature move: a single punch to the solar plexus. Her hand moved so fast it was difficult for onlookers to understand what had happened.

From the dirty window of a third floor classroom, Hayashida Megumi watched with appreciation as his classmate slumped forward over the much smaller student's arm and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. With a jolt, he realized that the fighter now exchanging high-fives with Kirishima and his cronies was the same kid he suspected of knocking out the 2A student with a single hit the previous day.

_Maybe he's worth finding out about after all_, he admitted to himself grudgingly. Megumi knew that sooner or later, this new kid would come looking to him for a fight. They all did in the end. And it was up to him to teach them their limits. _None of them know what true fighting is_, he thought wearily as he turned away from the window. _They're all the same, and none of them understand. Only when they have something to truly fight for will they begin to_.

The trio shook their heads in disbelief as Yamaguchi turned and flashed them a bright smile.

"No problem!" she exclaimed. Holding her fingers in a peace sign, she waved if front of her face momentarily before turning her back on the rest of Fukagi's crew who appeared stunned and temporarily incapable of movement, even if it was to help their fallen leader. Marching away from them and up to Hiromi's side, Kumiko smirked at their similarly blank expressions.

"Something the matter guys?" she asked with raised eyebrows. They all shook their heads in unison. "Well then," she continued with a shrug, "I'll be back in a few!" Without a backward glance, she strolled towards the building at a casual pace.

"Where're you going?" Pon called after a moment of recovery.

"Bathroom!" she shouted back, before disappearing inside. Around the two groups of boys, a crowd had started to form so the three friends split and headed off to a more secluded section of the grounds. As they squatted on the pavement, Honjou was, as usual, the first to break the silence.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', guys?" he asked excitedly. Hiromi looked up, almost as if he knew what Pon was going to say, while Mako appeared lost in thought. "That Yamaguchi might be able to take on Rindaman." Kirishima frowned and opened his mouth but Pon cut him off. "Just think about it! I know you've been looking for a solution to that problem anyways… Yamaguchi may be it." The leader closed his mouth in a grimace.

"I'll think on it," he decided. _But something tells me Yamaguchi may not be so keen on the idea…_

_Of all the problems I COULD have had in going to an all boy's school, why is this the only one that actually manifested?_ Kumiko asked herself in exasperation as she ran up yet another flight of stairs. Cautiously, she pushed open the nearest bathroom door and then promptly closed it again with a shudder. Racing down the hall to the next door, she fumed in irritation. Spotting the men's restroom sign ahead, she hurried her pace. As she paused outside the door, she realized that this was the last bathroom in the whole school that she hadn't checked. Crossing her fingers and saying a silent prayer, Kumiko eased the door open and peered inside.

To her surprise and delight, this bathroom was not filled with rowdy smoking boys, or bullies harassing the freshmen, or even guys using the room for what it was originally intended. _Well_, she realized, _make that ALMOST…_ The bathroom was only occupied by one person who, turning away from the wall as he zippered up the front of his pants, spotted Kumiko in the doorway and raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry," she said, slightly embarrassed at having caught the boy off guard. Without saying anything, the huge and very menacing-looking student crossed to the sink at the opposite wall and began rinsing his hands. It was only then that she realized who exactly he was.

"Ahhhh!" she exclaimed as he turned towards the door, "You're Rindaman!" The giant blinked in response. "My friends pointed you out to me," she explained quickly, "My name is Yamaguchi Kumiko; I just transferred here. Yoroshkun-onegaishimasu." With that, she bowed slightly, as did a surprised Megumi.

"This seems to be the only empty bathroom in this school," she commented awkwardly. Megumi paused as he walked towards the door.

"Nobody ever comes in here except me," he said quietly.

"Really?" she exclaimed. "Perfect!" He blinked once more before slipping past her through the doorway and out into the hall. But before the door could shut behind her, he changed his mind on a whim and was back.

"I saw your fight earlier," he commented, making her pause on her way to one of the stalls. To his surprise, the transfer student whipped around with a huge grin on his face. _My mistake, I guess_, Hayashida thought to himself disappointedly, _for thinking he wouldn't be the arrogant type_.

"I just can't stand guys like that Fukagi," Kumiko explained animatedly. "People like him don't know how to fight without relying on weapons instead of their own strength. A true man doesn't cower behind others either. They both needed to be taught a lesson." She held her closed fist out in front of her in gesture and smirked. Megumi was again surprised, but for a different reason.

"And the fight was to teach them some manners?" he asked skeptically. Yamaguchi thought for a moment, looking for the right way to phrase a response.

"Sort of. It was a more serious fight, since it was for a reason. Usually I only get serious about a fight when I have something to truly fight for. Otherwise it's all just fighting for recreation." Kumiko shifted uncomfortably as she finished speaking; she still desperately had to use the toilet. Noticing his kouhei's discomfort, Megumi nodded both in acknowledgement and parting, and left the bathroom without another word.

_Surprisingly, he might not be just like all the others_, he admitted to himself. In fact, the large boy found himself actually agreeing with much of what Yamaguchi had said about fighting. _Perhaps, having him around would be a nice change?_ a small voice inside of him suggested quietly. _Perhaps, it's time you made some friends_. Shaking his head as though it would clear out the nagging voice in his mind, Hayashida returned to his own quiet, private section of the third floor.

_Yamaguchi Kumiko, huh?_ he thought with a snort. _What a strange name_.

It was late but not too late by the time Kyo and his young charge set out for their newly assigned nighttime duties. The clan had just finished dinner, and Kumiko felt no regret whatsoever leaving Minoru and Tetsu behind to finish their homework.

"It can't hurt to at least try and make yourselves smarter," she told them scathingly as she sat down at the entrance and pulled her shoes on. "The Oedo family doesn't need any dumb subordinates." Leaving the two forlorn boys at the doorstep, she and Kyo hurried off into the growing darkness.


	7. Part 7: An Unexpected Meeting

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,604 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 7: An Unexpected Meeting

"Most of the complaints have been coming from businesses in the East District," Kyo explained as they walked. "What we're going to do is patrol the general area and keep on the look-out for more disturbances. Assuming we run into these thugs, we'll try to find out more about them first before engaging in a fight, unless of course they're putting others in danger. In that case, we'll move in at once and ask questions later, understand?"

"Got it," Kumiko affirmed, zippering up against the dropping temperature. Tonight she was wearing loose pants, sneakers, and a red t-shirt beneath her navy jacket. Given the opportunity, she preferred to keep her recently lopped-off hair secure in a half pony-tail when anticipating a fight, and with her hair pulled up she truly looked like the girl she was, instead of the boy she imitated at school. Kyo was dressed in his usual, distinctively Yakuza attire, but both were comfortable.

As they strolled into the East District, an area most populated with eateries and host/hostess clubs, they were enthusiastically greeted by most of the business owners they passed. Merely the presence of the Oedo family's young master and Ojou in the vicinity was enough to make the unusually tense shopkeepers relax.

"Kyo-san! Kyo-san!" several girls called from a nearby club, "Will you be stopping by tonight?"

"Not this evening, ladies," he answered them gruffly. "I'm working now." They looked slightly crestfallen, but wasted no time in swarming around Kumiko excitedly.

"Ojou! Kumi-chan! You look so cute with your short hair, should we cut ours too?" the chorused sweetly. "Ne, Kumi-chan. You have to stop by more often! We miss seeing our favorite little sister!" The gangster granddaughter smiled proudly and waved at the girls as Kyo pulled her out of the mob with a pained look on his face.

"I promise to visit again soon!" she called to them as she hurried to catch up with Kyo who was rounding a bend ahead. Leaving the hostesses behind them, the two meandered past some of the smaller restaurants, keeping their eyes peeled for trouble. They hadn't gotten far before the sound of breaking glass and raised voices coming from within a tiny sandwich shop made them pause. With a nod from Kyo, Kumiko approached the storefront cautiously and peered inside.

Through the grimy windows, she could just barely make out the shapes of several men clumped together inside the shop. Fortunately, none of them were facing the front and, giving Kyo the signal for safe entry, she slid open the door with a forceful push. The smacking sound it made as it reached the end of its track caused the men inside to jump and spin around in alarm. Now that she could see clearly, Kumiko eyed up each dark clothed man apprehensively, visually checking for weapons. Although she could see none on them, she knew that meant nothing.

"Is there a problem here gentlemen?" Kyo asked menacingly as he slid up beside Kumiko, arms crossed and feet spread apart in a barring stance. Glancing behind the men, Kumiko caught a quick glimpse of the shop's keeper being shielded by a large male worker who held a chopping knife defensively in front of him.

"Been harassing women?" she asked angrily, indicating the owner, "Or do you just enjoy ruining the livelihood of honest, hardworking people?" A few of the men cracked their knuckles threateningly and one lashed out, kicking a nearby table across the small room.

"What is it to you, bitch?" the one who appeared to be the leader challenged, stepping forward. Beside her, Kumiko felt rather than heard Kyo growl furiously.

"Watch your mouth punk!" he snapped. "It looks to us as though you might be the ones we've heard rumors about, messin' up the nice people who run the East District shops. Most people 'round here know this area is on Oedo Family turf, meaning you're either from out of town, or you're just stupid and looking for a beating."

"Seems like the latter to me…" Kumiko muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Why don't you shut the hell up, you're outnumbered!" one of the men yelled, rushing towards the pair still standing in the doorway. Kumiko reacted before he could move more than a few feet, shoving a table into his path so that he toppled over it and onto the floor. That's when things really got started.

Kumiko knew from experience to pay close attention to her unknown attackers' hands. Though she and Kyo were not armed with knives tonight, they still couldn't be sure who the men were and therefore had no guarantee against getting cut in close combat. Sure enough, it was only a few punches into the fight when Kumiko saw a flash of silver leave one man's pocket and come racing towards her. Jumping backwards on reflex, she avoided being pierced by the blade, but was not fast enough to prevent the front of her jacket from being sliced open across the middle.

"Goddamn bastard!" she yelled, upset that her favorite hoodie was now damaged and probably beyond repair. The dangling fabric weighed distractingly against her front so she whipped the garment off and quickly discarded it. In her peripheral vision, Kumiko could see Kyo engaged in a battle against two of the men who wielded weapons similar to the butterfly knife now being brandished in her direction. "Are you such a coward that you can't even make a hit w'thout havin' some shit metal in your hand?" she screamed at her attacker, disarming him with a single bone-breaking blow to the wrist.

As the knife fell, Kumiko kicked it out into the street through the still open door and then spun around and landed a kick on the hooded figure that sent him flying backwards and over the counter. Loud crashes could be heard as glass items toppled off of shelves and shattered on the floor. Taking a moment to look around her, Kumiko registered that the shop owner seemed to have taken refuge in the storage room, but the worker was calmly walking towards one of the remaining men. She watched as he tossed aside his chopping knife and took a barehanded swing at his target. The guy ducked in time but failed to see the knee rushing upwards at him until it had connected with his face.

There was a sickening crunch and the man collapsed. Unperturbed, the employee turned to look at her and it was then that Kumiko realized how massive the man was. Actually, the closer she looked, the more he resembled a boy rather than a man, and a familiar boy at that… _Have I seen him before?_ she wondered briefly, before snapping her attention back to the delinquent who was about to charge her head on.

As they exchanged punches and kicks at frightening speed, Kumiko noted that this one was a much better fighter than the others. Concentrating on the moves that Kyo had taught her, she tried to create an opening so that she could easily incapacitate him with a hit to the solar plexus. Unfortunately, the man seemed aware of her plan and skillfully avoided giving her the time or opportunity to amass a full-force blow. Growling in frustration, Kumiko feinted a jab at her attacker's left side and then smashed a sneakered foot into his right shin, causing him to stumble backwards.

His reeling body halted suddenly as it smacked into a much larger one, the owner of which promptly grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and held him up to Kumiko. Pulling back her fist, the Oedo Family's Ojou slammed a direct hit into the offender's middle and he was immediately unconscious. With a grunt, the powerful worker heaved the man up off of the floor and threw him bodily from the shop. Kumiko quickly looked to Kyo who had just ended his own fight with a sharp kick to the head, propelling his remaining opponent through one of the front windows with a crash.

With a sigh, the two faced each other and smiled weakly. Now that the dirty work was done, the silently began dragging the immobile men from the building and piled them up outside. For the time being, they could lie there out of the way until Kyo called home and requested a clean-up crew. As they trekked back and forth with their task, Kumiko subtly watched the large and silent worker as he righted some of the tables and chairs that had been toppled in the fight, still trying to piece together why he looked so familiar to her.

Tossing the final body on the top of the pile, Kumiko brushed off her hands and spat on the ground in disgust.

"Damn poachers…" she muttered.

"Something tells me these weren't the only ones either," Kyo sighed resignedly. "The way they fought as a group rather than just individuals makes it seem like they might be some sort of wannabe gang. In any case, we'll continue patrolling in the evenings until we can be certain they were the only threats. Call the family and let them know what's happened, would ya?" He handed her his phone.

Kumiko nodded her understanding and watched as Kyo walked back into the store to speak with the shopkeeper, who had finally abandoned her hiding place and was beginning to sweep up the broken glass behind the counter. Leaning against the doorframe, she quickly dialed headquarters and waited inattentively as the line began ringing. Finally, Wakamatsu's voice crackled to life on the other end and she stepped out into the street so they could speak.

"Gonna need to send some cleaners down here tonight," she informed him as she wrapped up her report, idly kicking the unconscious thugs as she paced around them. "No, that shouldn't be necessary." Pause. "I think we'll be heading back soon. We made too much racket tonight, Kyo thinks if there're more they'll sit quiet for awhile." Another pause as Wakamatsu speaks. "Wakata. See you at home in a bit." She hit the End button and turned back towards the store. Stepping inside, Kumiko heard Kyo telling the shopkeeper that somebody would be sent by in the morning to replace the shattered front window.

Looking around, Kumiko saw the huge boy-employee pick up her discarded hoodie from the floor and shake bits of glass and dirt from it. As he held it out to her, their eyes locked and it suddenly occurred to her why he looked so familiar.

"Ah! Rindaman!" It was a moment before she realized that the way she was pointing at him with her arm outstretched and mouth agape might not be the most polite way to approach her sempai. Quickly, she clamped her lips together and took the offered garment as if that was the reason for extending her hand in the first place.

"Yamaguchi," he nodded, looking her over appraisingly. Kumiko winced as she realized there was absolutely no way he still thought she was a boy. Acutely aware of how she looked, she crossed her arms in front of her awkwardly, hugging her jacket to her chest as she did so. As his conversation with the shopkeeper came to a close, Kyo turned and noticed that something was off between his charge and the large youth he remembered helping them during the fight.

"Ojou," he called out questioningly. Kumiko's face flicked towards his briefly, a mixture of panic and insecurity in place of the usual proud expression she wore. He stepped up beside her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder as she turned back to face the boy. "Something wrong here?" He sent a vaguely threatening glance in the giant's direction.

"I'm fine," Kumiko swallowed, thinking fast. "Why don't you head back, Kyo-san?" she suggested calmly. "I'll be along soon." Turning to look at him, she tried to send him a reassuring look. _I'll be fine, I just need to work some things out_, she thought, hoping he would understand. Something in her eyes must have done the trick because he nodded once and left without another word.

"Can we talk a minute?" she asked the boy slowly. When he nodded, she grabbed a chair nearby and sat straddling it with her elbows resting on the low back. Hayashida took the hint and pulled up a chair as well, his mind reeling.

"What's it gonna take to get you to keep quiet about this at school?" Kumiko asked bluntly, her voice hard. He thought for a moment.

"I guess, I want to know why you did it," Megumi said simply. Without another word, he leaned back in his chair and waited to see what his _female_ classmate would do.

"Why I'm attending Suzuran?" _Crap_, she thought to herself, _anything I say is going to give him power over the situation_. She frowned in distaste. _Then again, there's nothing to lose at this point_…

"I've been thrown out of too many schools," she explained, surprised he hadn't heard the rumors. "My grandfather suggested this school, sort of as a last resort. Most of my family went there as well. That's all."

"Family?" Rindaman grunted. Kumiko gave him a hard look, sizing him up.

"That's right," she told him, not forgetting that he had heard Kyo's talk of the Oedo Family, and had heard Kyo call her Ojou. "My _Family_," she repeated, this time with emphasis.

Refusing to avert his gaze under her harsh stare, Hayashida turned the facts over in his mind. One: his kouhei and potential rival was a girl. Two: she was the daughter of a powerful local gang. Three: revealing her secrets wouldn't benefit him in the least. Making up his mind, Megumi stood and waited as Yamaguchi did the same, her eyes apprehensive but her jaw rigid.

"You asked me what I wanted in exchange for my silence." She nodded, squaring her shoulders slightly as she straightened to her full height and looked him in the eyes. _This is it_, Kumiko thought bitterly. _Whatever it is, I have to do it because I can't let Grandpa down again_. She steeled herself for the worst.

"Call me by my real name. Hayashida Megumi." Kumiko blinked. "See you tomorrow at school." With that, he turned his back on her and walked behind the counter, taking out a broom. She watched as the boy she had previously known as Rindaman ignored her and headed back to the front of the shop where he began sweeping up what was left of the broken window.

Taking that as her signal to leave, the Oedo Family's Ojou exited through the doorway a final time, her thoughts a confused jumble. _Hayashida Megumi_. She turned the name over in her head as she stepped around the bodies in the street. Turning back around quickly, she hollered a belated reply back to him.

"See you tomorrow, Hayashida-san!"

Without another glance, she turned down a side street and jogged her way back to the house. For now, she decided, she would let things play out on their own terms.

Inside the shop, Hayashida stopped sweeping and stared through the empty window frame with a blank expression. The sound of his boss's disgruntled sighs eventually brought him back to himself and he looked around again sadly at the destruction that girl had caused. Pausing as he noticed something bundled on one of the chairs, he grimaced. She had forgotten her jacket.


	8. Part 8: Juggling Act

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,868 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 8: Juggling Act

To say Kumiko was a little apprehensive about going to school the next day would be the understatement of the century. Her stomach was writhing as though dozens of tiny snakes had taken up residence there. Already Wakamastu had asked her three times if she was feeling okay. Tetsu and Minoru had almost signed their own death certificates by calling her "Clammy-Kumi", and were only still in one place because Kumiko was sure that if she chased them she would vomit.

The walk with Kyo to their usual departure point was a silent one. She could feel his eyes on her the whole time, questioning her. But she had no answers for him even if he had asked, which he didn't. Perhaps he knew already, but if he didn't, she wasn't about to be the bearer of shitty news.

As the schoolyard came into view, her anxiety intensified. _Would he approach her in front of everyone?_ She wasn't worried about that so much; she could be friends with whoever she wanted to. _If they've got a problem with it, they can go screw themselves. But how would he address her? Yamaguchi? Kumiko-chan?_ She stumbled as her mind went into panic mode. _I can't be expelled, not again!_

Unfortunately, Yamaguchi Kumiko was probably the one student in the history of Suzuran who had a legitimate reason for being kicked out of a school that notoriously accepted _anyone_. Kids had been arrested, joined gangs, vandalized school property, cut class, and even attacked teachers before with little to no consequences. But to be a girl in an all boys school…

"Yo!"Kumiko nearly jumped out of her skin as Pon appeared beside her and slung his arm around her shoulder. Feeling her flinch, he chuckled. "It's a rare day when I startle _you_," he mocked. "Daydreaming already? You haven't even had the opportunity to be bored with class yet!"

"Just distracted today," she replied, forcing herself to calm down and put on a pleasant expression.

"Bad day for it," Pon remarked. "We're challenging 2C, remember?"

_That's right, I had forgotten_, Kumiko mused. _Just one more thing I have to deal with_. She gave an exaggerated shrug as a response and her friend grinned widely.

"Can we count on that super strength again today?" he asked, half serious. Kumiko sighed.

"What, you think I lost it overnight? Don't worry man. I've got your back." Lifting her fist up towards him in a gesture of assurance, she smiled as he knocked his own fist against it.

"Yosh!" Pon shouted, raising his hand into the air and jogging the last few steps up to the building. "Let's kick some ass!"

Sitting in class for a few hours gave Kumiko the chance to talk herself down off her nerves a bit and focus more on the brewing fight that was scheduled to happen during lunch period. If she was honest with herself, she didn't truly feel like battling any class today. In her mind, there were more pressing matters at hand, and despite what she had told herself the previous evening about just letting things happen, the situation looked a lot more dangerous in the daylight.

Before she knew it, she was walking down the concrete steps of the school alongside Hiromi and the others, heading from their classroom to the grounds. She saw her friend and class leader glancing at her with a calculating expression and tried harder to focus.

"Yamaguchi," he murmured under his breath, "you okay? You don't look completely with us…" He trailed off as she shook her head in contradiction.

"I'm fine Hiromi," she tried to assure him, though he didn't look convinced. Pon and Mako materialized on either side of them and Kumiko gave them the thumbs up. "Let's get this started, shall we?" They turned and looked across the dirty schoolyard at their opponents who were assembling about fifty yards away.

As the two classes marched to meet in the middle, Kumiko found herself zoning out again, even while Kirishima and the 2C leader exchanged remarks. Suddenly, it seemed, a confronting flurry of fists snapped her back to reality. _We started already?_ she wondered, startled. A muscled arm appeared from her right, blocking a punch that was aimed for her head. Looking around in confusion, still trying to get her bearings, she saw Mako frowning at her.

"Focus, Yamaguchi," he said gruffly in an undertone. She nodded her thanks while mentally kicking herself for letting her guard down in the first place. _If it wasn't for the whole Rindaman situation_… She was on the defensive, dodging occasionally but mostly relying on latent reflexes to block her attackers. _No, it's Hayashida_, she told herself firmly, retreating and running up against something solid. Glancing over her shoulder, she found that she was fighting back to back with Mako.

For the first time, she took a moment to really look at their opponents. The 2C boys were spread out everywhere, picking off her classmates by double teaming them at every opportunity. As Kumiko hesitated, she and Mako were being surrounded by about six guys. From their stances alone, Kumiko could tell they weren't the usual low-skill fighters the school offered: these guys meant business. Shoving all thoughts of Hayashida Megumi from her mind, she and Mako began clearing a path towards Kirishima and Honjou who were fighting nearby.

As she threw herself fully into the fight, Kumiko was able to relax a bit. Slowly, the four of them depleted the rival class's numbers until they were on even ground once again. A booted foot aimed at her side was easily avoided and countered with a well-placed kick of her own; two fists, one from each direction, were expertly dodged so that the attackers' momentum carried them into each other. Hopping over them towards another fighter, Kumiko was now on the offensive, clipping one guy in the jaw, hitting another in the gut, and generally just tearing up the place.

_This is why I love it here_, she reminded herself as she felt the adrenaline rush through her body. _This is what it feels like to be alive_. Really throwing her full power into every hit now, some of the 2C fighters one by one began to halt and do a double take. As one boy rushed her, Kumiko sprung into the air with a flying kick that landed perfectly on his chest and sent him flying backwards more than twenty. Now it wasn't only 2C that had stopped to watch, but her own class for the most part as well. Pretty soon, only Hiromi, Pon, Mako, the leader of 2C, and a few of his more skilled men were left fighting. The rest of the students stood in scattered clumps, some of them looking as though they had just frozen mid-punch.

Hiromi, his attention locked on his two, much larger attackers, couldn't spare a glance to see what the rest of the class was doing, much less Yamaguchi. It was taking all of his concentration just to avoid letting either guy get his hands on him, which he knew very well would be the end of the fight. Hiromi might be a good technical fighter, but there was no way he would be able to stand against such superior weight.

Blocking a lunge for his left side and stumbling backwards in the process, he felt his stomach plummet as one of the guys managed to get a hold of his right forearm. It took only a second before it was twisted cruelly and wrenched up behind his back. Hiromi cursed loudly, trying to cover any sounds of pain he might make, when suddenly his other opponent kicked his feet out from under him and he dropped to his knees.

Several yards away, Kumiko eliminated her final attacker. As the boy staggered from a sharp jab to his side, she braced herself with one hand on the ground and shot a booted heel up to meet his already injured ribs, launching him into the air with a snap and a piercing scream that left an unnatural silence in its wake. In the space of time it took for him to hit the ground with a sickening thud, she was already back on her feet and looking around for more fighters.

It was then that she spotted Hiromi's predicament. On his knees with an arm twisted beneath his shoulder blades, he had little chance to defend himself from the heavy-handed punches that snapped his head from one side to the other. Remembering his heartfelt promise to back her up in her fight against Fukagi the previous day, Kumiko was instantly furious at the underhanded two-on-one beating Kirishima was taking. In a flash, she had rushed to his side, just in time to meet the offending fighter's punch with an open fist. The unorthodox contact of palm to knuckles at full force made a resounding slap that startled the boy. Insulted by the diminutive size of an opponent who had been able to stop his punch dead on, he applied pressure hoping the boy's hand would give out, but it didn't.

Behind her from where she stood between Kirishima and his main attacker, Kumiko heard him grunt in discomfort and a cracking sound as his arm was twisted tighter. Without letting go of the one man's fist, she swung her left leg up beside her, pivoted on her right foot, and sent a forceful kick just over Hiromi's head into his restrainer's face. With a crunch, his nose bleeding, the brutish boy slumped to his side, unconscious.

Straightening herself once more so that she was directly facing the remaining attacker, she smirked as she saw fear in his eyes. He quickly retracted his fist from her grasp and started backing away, tripping over one of his fallen comrades in the process. Analyzing that he was no longer a threat, Kumiko turned to Hiromi and gruffly pulled him to his feet by his good arm. He looked horrible, his face bleeding and swollen, his right arm hanging limp and at an awkward angle, but his miserable smile reassured her that he would recover in time.

Now that she had a moment to breathe, Kumiko finally looked around and noticed that the fighting had all but stopped and that all eyes were on her. In fact, the only people not staring at her with outright apprehension were Hiromi, who could barely see anything through the swelling around his eyes, and last remaining fighters.

Not more than twenty feet from where she and their leader stood, Pon, Mako, and the 2C leader were laying into each other with all their energy and strength. Together, her friends were just barely able to hold off the attacks of the 2C leader, which said a lot about how strong of a fighter he was. Kumiko knew there was no way the two of them would be able to beat him. Feeling the adrenaline rush once more, she flexed her hands and rolled he neck to loosen up as she waited for their fight to end and hers to begin. The onlookers flicked their eyes nervously between the fighting trio and Yamaguchi, waiting to see what she would do.

It finally happened that Pon stumbled after parrying a kick, and in just that brief moment he was knocked to the side by a speeding blow to the ribcage, leaving him heaving on the pavement. That was all the time Mako needed to be distracted and without backup, before he too was overwhelmed by his opponent's superior strength and speed. Seconds later, he also fell. Suddenly, the school yard seemed unearthly quiet, as even classes who were not involved in the conflict has stopped what they were doing and gathered around to watch. In the building, students leaned out of windows to see what would happen next. Though she didn't notice it, Hayashida was watching Kumiko closely the window of his private bathroom.

The 2C leader finally straightened up and looked around, finally stopping when he spotted the battered Kirishima standing next to a small boy he didn't recognize. Taking in the rival leader's appearance, he grinned, confident in his victory.

"It appears this battle has come down to a fight between just the two of us!" he shouted to Hiromi. "Unfortunately, it looks as though my men have already beaten you for me!" He causally brushed some dirt from his uniform, as though to emphasize the fact that he was for the most part unharmed. Still, Kumiko noticed a slight stiffness in his gait as he walked towards the pair of them, suggesting he was not completely unscathed. Before he had come half the distance, she stepped forward, separating him from Kirishima, and took up her fighting stance.

"Actually," she pointed out sarcastically, "I'm still here so, unfortunately for you, there will be no battle between you and Kirishima today. Not unless you can defeat me, which I doubt." The smirk slid off the boy's face as he realized she was serious, and then suddenly he roared with laughter. The sound was eerie in the uncomfortable silence that persisted in the wake of what the rest of the students had seen and the 2C leader had not. Finally, after some time, his laugh became a chuckle and he gave Yamaguchi a scathing once-over before sneering.

"So you think a scrawny thing like you is going to take me out?" He leisurely walked closer, leering all the while. "You're nothing but a piece of crow-bait!" He paused a moment to laugh at his own joke, but stopped when no one laughed with him. Glaring around him at his class, he placed one hand heavily on Kumiko's shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Bring it, you little shit!"

As the grip on her shoulder tightened, Kumiko dropped slightly and swung beneath his outstretched arm to the outside so that his right-handed punch missed completely and he went sprawling forward. Circling around to the back, she nudged the inside of his kneecap with a booted foot and took his accompanying wince as proof that he was injured.

"Perhaps you're the one who's crow-bait," she taunted as he struggled back to his feet. Finally righted, he stood with his back to her and she waited for him to turn, but he didn't. Suddenly, she saw the core of his body shift just enough that she knew what was about to happen just before it did, but not soon enough to stop it. In a split second, the 2C leader lunged for Hiromi who was still standing nearby, and within moments had him incapacitated once more, this time by a forearm crushing against his windpipe. Kumiko didn't move, but watched in disgust as the boy pulled a switchblade from his pocket and held it at the base of her friend's throat.

She quickly calculated how much time she would need to get to Hiromi and whether or not it would be possible to do so before the 2C leader could seriously injure him. She frowned, not liking the odds. As she focused on creating some sort of plan to free Kirishima that would not end in his death, her concentration blinded her to the wave of students that were parting as someone approached from behind her opponent and his captive.

Suddenly, a huge hand reached down from above the struggling pair and knocked the blade from the offender's hand. Another sweep of his fist bashed the despicable leader aside while his other hand supported Hiromi slightly so that he was not swayed by the impact. Looking up at her helper, Kumiko was unsurprised to see that it was Megumi, and she couldn't help but grin at him. Releasing the remaining leader once he was sure he could stand on his own, the giant known as Rindaman took a step forward and handed a ball of cloth out to Yamaguchi.

"You forgot this yesterday," he explained softly. Nodding her understanding, Kumiko took her rolled up sweatshirt from him with an enthusiastic "thank you" and held up her fist in solidarity. Getting the gesture, Hayashida bumped his fist lightly against hers and the turned without another word. The sea of students parted for him once more, giving him plenty of room to pass, and it seemed as though not a one dared even breathe. Sighing as he reentered the building and her classmates stares returned to her, Kumiko wondered how exactly she was going to explain her interaction with Hayashida-san to them. She was grateful at his intervention, but worried about the impact on everyone else. Even Hiromi was looking at her in shock, though that might have been in part due to the fact he had just been held at knife-point.

Tucking the sweatshirt under one arm, she raised he shoulders slightly in a shrug and walked over to Kirishima, throwing an arm around him in support. Trying to hide her apprehension, she grinned at all the boys standing around her.

"So…," she began awkwardly, "will you be joining us then?"


	9. Part 9: Enlightenment At Last?

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,911 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 9: Enlightenment At Last?

Kumiko would have been willing to bet a considerable amount of money that, had he been in any condition to do so, Kirishima would have dragged her bodily back to the room and demanded an immediate explanation. However, as it was, her classmates were barely able to make it inside the building themselves, let alone drag anyone else with them. In fact, there was irony in the fact that she found herself to be the one half-carrying their beaten leader across the schoolyard, into the building, and up the stairs to their classroom. While no more difficult to Kumiko than lifting a desk, this was no small feat by normal standards and so the veil of uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the group following Rindaman's departure remained palpable to everyone.

After depositing Hiromi as gently as possibly in his usual seat at the back of the classroom, Kumiko took a moment to catch her breath and waited as Pon and Mako filed in after her. Their injuries weren't nearly as severe as Hiromi's, but she was sure a few of Pon's ribs were broken from the way he was carrying himself, and she suspected Mako might have a sprained wrist. He held his forearm uncomfortably, as though trying to lessen the pressure. It was the only time she could remember seeing emotion flicker across his usually stony face. Closing the door behind them so that they wouldn't be interrupted, she could sense his confusion was he turned back to face the group.

After a moment of silence in which a dropping pin might have sounded like a bomb going off, the usually explosive Pon mustered the strength to speak. His voice was steady despite his obvious frustrations.

"I know I speak for Kirishima as well when I ask, what exactly happened out there Yamaguchi?"

Silence pervaded once more as Kumiko struggled to come up with an acceptable explanation that wouldn't betray her secret. Realizing after several long minutes that there just wasn't one, she decided that divulging parts of the truth was going to be necessary to conceal the whole of it. Wondering how to begin, Kumiko fiddled with the sweatshirt still clutched tightly in her hands.

"Last night I was out, and I ran into some trouble." Pon made to say something but a look from Mako silenced him once more. Nodding her thanks, she continued, "There was a fight, and in the scuffle I bumped into Hayashida-san. He helped me out a bit and afterwards we got to talking. I must've left my jacket behind when we parted…" Her voice trailed off and she looked thoughtful for a moment before adding, "It was very nice of him to bring it to me. And he couldn't have had better timing. I wasn't really struck with any genius way of getting that asshole off of Hiromi."

There was silence once again, but only briefly before—

"Hayashida-SAN?" Pon screeched. Mako winced in annoyance and Kirishima glared at him through the swollen slits that were his eyes. Although it looked more like he was merely squinting, the boy sensed his leader's meaning loud and clear. With a grunt of disapproval, he crossed his arms violently across his chest, wincing as they brushed his injured ribs. Spitting some blood from his mouth, Kirishima cleared his throat and turned to face Kumiko.

"Because of his interference on our behalf, the entire dynamic of this war has shifted, not just today's battle." He paused for a moment and readjusted in his seat. "It's possible that 2C won't accept our victory and will claim that Yugihara was technically defeated by Rindaman and not us. Another possibility is that they will think Rindaman is one of us and join up. They could join us regardless. On the other hand…" Hiromi looked uncomfortable and glanced at Mako. The stoic boy grimaced and nodded. "It's possible", he continued carefully, "that the other factions within Suzuran are already talking about whether or not Rindaman has joined our side."

At this time, the usually silent Mako interjected to disclose that, "They already have started to wonder where he stands. The exchange with Yamaguchi was highly unusual."

"Just what exactly is your relationship with him?" Pon snapped, clearly feeling that his opinions in this discussion were far overdue. "You seemed awfully friendly for having only met him once!" Kumiko shrugged.

"Well, I did talk to him in the bathroom once. He seems cool to me." Even Mako had trouble hiding his shock at that comment, and Kumiko wondered if she might have said too much. Pulling himself together, Kirishima got to his feet, albeit wobbly, with support from the desk nearest to him. After testing his weight on first one foot, then the other, he slowly turned to look down on Yamaguchi who still lounged casually on her chair. He spent a few seconds taking in the boy's appearance, noting that he had not a scratch on him; even his clothes were perfect.

Hiromi knew that he hadn't spent any time watching Yamaguchi fight, but from what he had observed of his classmates' reactions post-battle, he felt sure that it was as impressive as usual, if not more. Still, pulling Rindaman into the mix at this stage in the game had not been part of Hiromi's plan. Furthermore, he had fully expected that they would need to _defeat_ Rindaman in order to conquer the school. Having him join them of his own accord was something he could never have imagined. _If that's even how things stand…_ he mused. Deciding that for the time being he could cut Yamaguchi loose, he shrugged nonchalantly as if the matter was no longer of interest to him.

"Well I think we've all had more than enough for one day," Kirishima said aloud. Kumiko jumped up excitedly but both Pon and Mako eyed their friend, not fooled by his relaxed aura. Giving them both a subtle nod that clearly meant they were to let Yamaguchi go without protest, the 2B leader smiled at their prize fighter, his false grin cracking the bits of dried blood on his face.

"Awesome!" Kumiko cheered, oblivious to the tension around her. "I'm gonna head out early then guys. See ya tomorrow!" With a quick wave, she hurried over to the door, opened it, and nearly fell backwards as a pile of her classmates stumbled through the doorway, their support having suddenly vanished. With an exasperated chuckle, she jumped over them and dashed down the hall, eager to get home. She still had a lot of energy left over from the fight, and she knew that if she hurried, she could catch Minoru and Tetsu just as they were getting home from school. _I think it's training time_, she thought to herself with a satisfied smirk.

Back in the classroom, Kirishima was unsurprised to see the mountain of students who had apparently been eaves dropping at the door, hoping to hear a hint of explanation. With an amused snort, he waited as they cleared a path for himself, Pon, and Mako, to exit the room after Yamaguchi. Before they started out of the building, he turned back and looked over his class, some of them still with guilty expressions plastered on their faces, and all a little worse for wear.

"Good job today guys," he said gruffly. "The rest of the day is yours." With a salute, he turned and the three wandered leisurely out the front door and then out the front gates. No one tried to stop them from leaving, but that was typical.

"Let's find a place to eat. I'm starving!" Pon whined. Mako nodded in agreement and following Kirishima's lead, the trio turned right and headed east into town.

It wasn't the safest area to hang around, that was for sure, but in their current state, Hiromi figured they would blend in rather than attract attention. The district was densely populated with small eateries, one or two stores, more bars than they could count, and a whole assortment of hostess, and even host clubs. People were everywhere, buying and selling wares on the street and from small, temporary stalls they had set up themselves. It was almost a chore to wade through the throng of bustling bodies pushing in on them from all directions. Everywhere they looked there were all manner of individuals: skinny women with glittery skirts and too much lipstick, dangerous looking men squatting on the ground playing with dice, and old people hunched over from years of labor.

Kirishima pointed in the direction of a small diner up ahead of them and the three friends slowly made their way inside and to a booth. Sitting carefully and wincing slightly, Pon and Mako quickly ordered the first thing off the menu, too hungry to care what they ate. Hiromi asked for a glass of water and seemed content to sip it quietly while his comrades shoveled back mouthful after mouthful of food. When they finally appeared to be slowing down, he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"We need to strategize here," he announced sharply, not that the other two were surprised. "Yamaguchi's actions have completely blown our previous plans and assumptions to shit. With Rindaman on board, we could be unstoppable-"

"But we don't even know for sure that he is!" Pon interjected sourly. "This could truly be as innocent as Yamaguchi seems to think it is." He seemed satisfied with this, but Mako was shaking his head.

"Something's not right. I've been saying it from the beginning. You don't really buy into the idea that Yamaguchi just happened upon Rindaman and they got to talking, do you Hiromi?" he asked incredulously. The leader looked thoughtful.

"I'm not sure…" he muttered. "I don't think Yamaguchi has bad intentions toward us, and Rindaman has been a loner until now. I doubt he'd go along with another person's plan so easily."

"But how well do we even know Yamaguchi?" Mako insisted solemnly. "He could be anyone."

"Yeah, like who?" Pon jeered, sniggering at his usually silent friend. "He's a total badass, that's for sure, but generally good-natured, don't you think?"

"I have to agree," Hiromi concurred. "Whatever his deal is, Yamaguchi is not an enemy. And if Rindaman is friends with him, it can really only help us. The opposition is gonna think twice about standing in our way if there's even the slightest chance it'll upset that monster."

"We don't even know if there's anything between them at all," Mako clarified. "We need to get more information before making our next move."

"Still," Pon deliberated, "the results of today's fight should be enough to tip Kamiya in our favor. Even if you take Rindaman out of the picture, Yamaguchi was like a demon, man!" The noisy youth laughed as Kirishima stared blankly at him.

"I was with him for part of the fight," Mako said quietly. Intent on hearing this first-hand, Hiromi subconsciously leaned in so he could catch every word. "He seemed distracted at first," Mako continued as the other two nodded, remembering, "but then he really threw himself into things and practically turned the whole battle around by himself. We would have been destroyed Hiromi," the boy added. Realizing for the first time how close a call the match had been, Kirishima shuddered slightly and silently thanked the new student.

"Man… I just wanna know how he _does_ that!" Pon remarked bitterly. "If I could throw guys twice my size thirty feet like Yamaguchi, I'd never stop- Oww!" He yelled as Mako whacked him none too gently upside the head. Behind them, a woman at the counter glanced disapprovingly in their direction before turning back to the magazine in front of her with a shake of her head. The larger boy looked condescendingly down at his friend, but then relented.

"I have to admit, I'm also curious as to how he can be so strong. He certainly isn't very big, and his technique is better than any I've seen since Genji." Kirishima nodded in agreement and Pon, though still disgruntled at his mistreatment, also bobbed his head.

Kirishima sighed and turned to stare disinterestedly out the large window that framed their booth. Across the street, two sketchy looking workers were installing a window in the side of a sandwich shop under the strict direction of a mean looking guy in long dark pants and a silk shirt. As the man turned and his face became visible, Kirishima noticed a wicked scar across one eye that seemed vaguely familiar. All at once, it was like a light bulb went off in his head.

"Guys!" he whispered excitedly, turning back to the other two, who were picking at the remains of their lunch. They looked up and took-in the man Hiromi pointed to through the window.

"Looks like Yakuza," Pon remarked hesitantly. "What about him?"

"Yeah, I saw him with Yamaguchi!"

"WHAT?" Pon and Mako cried out in unison, food flying from their mouths. For the second time, the woman at the counter glared in their direction, this time staring pointedly at them until they lowered their voices.

"I spotted Yamaguchi walking out of this district on his way to school a couple times, and each time he was with someone who was unmistakably Yakuza." Mako and Pon looked at each other, not quite sure what to think. "What's more," Kirishima continued, "is that they seem to really respect him. The one guy I saw bowed as Yamaguchi left, and he seemed especially close with this one." He nodded his head once more in the direction of the fierce man on the other side of the glass.

As the three boys sat in silence to ponder the meaning behind Yamaguchi Kumiko's apparent network of underworld connections, the diner owner began chatting with the woman at the counter. Their voices carried easily across the room, and soon all three found themselves distracted by the ladies' conversation.

"But you must have been terrified, Nakamura-san! I mean, what did you do?" the proprietor was asking earnestly.

"To be sure, it was a blessing that Hayashida-kun was the one working that night! He stood right up to them, and you know how big he is…" the woman, Nakamura-san, confided animatedly.

'Well yes, but he was able to get rid of all of them? I heard there were at least six of them!" the owner asked, sounding skeptical.

"Before too long, Oedo showed up and that's when they started damaging things. Hayashida-kun told me to hide in the back until it was over, so I didn't see everything that happened, but when I came out the front window had been shattered." Looking out the window again, Kirishima quickly realized that Nakamura-san must own the sandwich shop across the street where they were replacing the window. Turning back to his comrades, he was about to relate what he had deduced, when Mako uncharacteristically cut him off.

"Did she say 'Hayashida'?" he asked quietly so that the two women wouldn't overhear him. Hiromi felt as though his brain was working overtime trying to put together all the possible connection to what they had just heard.

"And Oedo?" Pon chimed in. "They're one of the biggest Yakuza syndicates in the city, right? I hear they completely dominate the East District." The two boys waited as their leader appeared temporarily lost in thought. Finally, Kirishima slammed his fist down in the center of the table, startling his friends, and stood.

"We need to get to the bottom of this," he stated plainly. "Clearly, there is more going on here than Yamaguchi cares to explain, but I'm tired of being kept in the dark." Throwing a few yen down on the table to cover the meal, Hiromi led the way out of the shop. As the trio stood bunched in the doorway, still unsure of their next move, opportunity so happened to jump up and smack them in the face.

In one brief moment, a flash of familiar black dashed past them, only to stop a few feet away from where they themselves stood. Clearly oblivious to their presence, they watched in collective silence as Yamaguchi Kumiko struck up a conversation with the scar-eyed Yakuza across the street. Although out of earshot, Hiromi, Mako, and even Pon could all tell that the two seemed to be discussing something serious. But the conversation was short, and with an informal wave of his hand, Yamaguchi ran off again down the street, leaving the man behind to continue yelling at the two installing the window.

Acting quickly, Kirishima darted out into the main stream of foot-traffic and took off after their classmate, his friends right behind him.

"Here's the plan!" he shouted to them over his shoulder, all the while moving as quickly as possible after his target through the heavy crowd. "We follow Yamaguchi, and we get answers." The other two nodded to show that they understood, and together the three started tailing their friend.

_Sorry Yamaguchi_, Hiromi apologized silently, _but this is the only way. If you can't trust us, then we can't trust you_. Weaving around one obstruction after another, they were just barely able to keep the boy in their sights, but little did they know what manner of surprises would be waiting for them once they finally caught up.


	10. Part 10: Old Faces, New Truths

CrowsXGokusen FF – 2,534 words (about)

Everything happens for a reason

Part 10: Old Faces, New Truths

Kumiko raced through the East District towards home, so excited to have some free time in which to train with Tetsu and Minoru that that she barely spared a few words for the shopkeepers who greeted her as she passed. Sliding open the entrance to the Kuroda family home, she skipped up to the house and kicked off her shoes at the entrance.

"Tadaima!" she called, stepping up into the house. She heard scuffles followed by the slapping of bare feet against wood as Tetsu and Minoru dashed around the corner to meet her.

"Okairii!" They shouted in unison, dropping to their knees respectfully. Leaning down to ruffle their hair, Kumiko grinned at the two boys and watched as their expression changed to confusion and alarm upon seeing her scheming expression. "Uh..." they stammered.

"Training!" The Oedo heir barked down at them. "Get ready." Leaping over the two boys, Kumiko darted up the stairs towards her room, intent on changing into more comfortable clothes when she heard her grandfather call her name. Spinning on the ball of her foot and pushing off the top step, she sprung back down the stairs and slid open the door to their great conference room. Kumiko was unsurprised to find Kuroda Ryuichiro sitting at the head of the table, but she hadn't been expecting to see most their Group's underbosses seated with him, all looking solemn. She instantly adopted a more appropriate demeanor and dropped the goofy grin.

"Kumiko, please sit," Ryuichiro said softly. Wakamatsu shifted to his right, opening a space for her at her grandfather's right hand. Taking the hint, she seated herself beside him and looked around at the other men seated at the table. They each bowed their heads respectfully before turning their attention back to their boss.

"Last night," the Oedo boss spoke, "Kumiko and Kyo apprehended a number of thugs who were destroying a sandwich shop and threatening the owner. Our cleaners have disposed of them, but I am not convinced that this problem has been solved." He nodded to Wakamatsu.

"It is Kyo's belief that the men are part of a larger group, possibly a new gang," the second in command continued. "Even just this morning reports have reached us of similar incidents in the other districts throughout the city. They're widespread enough that we believe these are opportunity-based crimes and lack greater organization."

"However," Kuroda cut in, taking over the report once more, "if they are part of a larger gang, then it is only a matter of time before the start to better organize themselves, at which point we will have a serious problem on our hands. Currently, we have no way of estimating their true numbers." The boss carefully crossed his hands in front of him and seemed to think deeply for a few minutes. Kumiko felt the hairs on her arm stand on end; the anticipation was killing her.

"For the time being, we're going to ask for assistance from the Ryuseikai Group in our patrols. I want every available man out walking our turf this evening and every other evening this week, until we've solved this problem."

"Boss," one of the men asked, "do you need someone to get in contact with Ryuseikai?" Kuroda Ryuichiro seemed to take careful consideration in choosing his response.

"Kumiko," he said finally, turning to his granddaughter. Her head snapped to face him. "I would like you to go and speak with the heir of the Ryuseikai Group for us. Right now Kyo is at the shop the two of visited last night. He'll know where you can find Genji." Kumiko looked to her right and Wakamatsu nodded at her with a knowing smile. Turning back to her grandfather, she bowed her head.

"Of course grandpa." _I guess training will have to wait until later_, she thought in resignation. _Those lucky brats._

A short time later...

Kyo had told her Genji spent most afternoons relaxing in a park nearby in the east district. If he couldn't be found there, she had instructions to stop by the Ryuseikai headquarters and inquire there.

Kumiko could not deny her excitement at having been chosen for this job. After her talk with Wakamatsu some time ago, she had been a bit unsure of how her grandfather viewed her position in the Family. But being trusted to request the help of one of their strongest allies, well, it made her feel as though he was showing her that he felt she was ready for more responsibility.

_Of course_, she thought skeptically, _it could just be because he knows you're friends with Genji_. The thought had crossed her mind, but she quickly decided that it didn't matter either way. An assignment was an assignment. At the moment, she was hurrying as quickly as she could, dodging shopkeepers and customers that swarmed the streets, making her way towards the park to meet with Genji. If she were lucky, perhaps they could even hang out for a bit. After they sorted out the Groups' affairs of course.

Eventually the crowds thinned and she could make out the park a couple of blocks away. Speeding up, she rounded the corner and came to a stop, catching her breath as she surveyed the area for a familiar figure. Spotting him several yards on a bench, his back to her, Kumiko couldn't help but grin to herself. _It's payback time_, she thought smugly to herself.

Kirishima, Honjou, and Sugihara were panting heavily as they watched Yamaguchi disappear into a park up ahead. With all the stress they had put their bodies through so far that day, Hiromi was amazed he was even still standing. Slowly now, he motioned to the others to follow him cautiously. They peered around the corner and watched as their classmate walked, no _crept_ would be a more accurate description, towards a figure sitting on a bench. They couldn't see the person's face, but he looked dangerous.

"I don't like this," Pon muttered under his breath. "It feels like we're spying on him. I thought we were friends..."

"Shhh," Mako spat, jabbing him in the side. The boy whined.

"That hurt, idiot!"

"Would you two be quiet!" Hiromi hissed. Yamaguchi had just jumped over the back of the bench and tackled the figure to the ground. They could hear shouting as the two people were lost amidst a furious ball of flailing limbs.

"Do you think we should help him?" Mako whispered, his resolve wavering.

"Give it a minute..." Kirishima responded. "We've seen him fight; he's not going down that easy." Sure enough, the two figures eventually stopped beating on each other and appeared to be laughing as they pulled each other up off the ground. _What exactly is going on here?_ he wondered.

Kumiko couldn't stop laughing. The look on Genji's face once he realized who jumped him had been priceless. Bending over, she supported herself with her hands on her knees and tried to take deep breaths with limited success. Beside her, Genji was likewise working to regain his composure, his initial irritation gone. He reclaimed his seat on the bench and she hesitated a moment before taking the space next to him for herself.

"I'm loving the new look," Genji joked, indicating her boy's uniform. "You look so much like a boy, I didn't recognize you at first." She grinned back at him.

"Didn't you hear? I go to Suzuran now."

"No shit, really?" Kumiko nodded and Genji started laughing even harder. "Small world, huh? It feels like such a long time ago that I graduated, but it was really only just last year... Crazy."

"They don't know I'm a girl of course," she explained quickly. "Or about my Family. I couldn't think of two better reasons to get expelled. And this time I promised Grandpa that things would work out."

"How is the Boss anyway?" Genji asked.

"That's actually why I'm here. Not that I don't love seeing you anyway," she added as her friend made a sour face. "Has Ryuseikai heard about these new thugs that showed up recently?"

"You mean the ones we've been getting so many complaints about? Yeah, father's been trying to decide how to handle the situation. They appear to be some sort of new gang."

"That's what we think as well. Busted up a couple of them last night, and they fight dirty."

"So what does Oedo want to do about it?" Genji asked, all business now.

"We'd like Ryuseikai's help in patrols for now," Kumiko began, also adopting a more serious demeanor, "and as for later I'm not sure. Grandpa might want to take further action if the problem can't be easily resolved."

Genji stood and lazily paced in front of the bench, appearing lost in thought. The Oedo Ojou waited patiently, watching her companion closely for any clue as to his decision.

"We've already increased our patrols, so I don't see why father would object to working together. We are allies after all." Genji turned to face her and grinned. "Alright, let's work together on this one and see if we can't drive these pests out of our city!"

"Good. I'll be sure to inform Grandpa of Ryuseikai's decision. We should be able to start tonight." Kumiko grinned up at her friend, relaxing now that business had been dealt with. Crossing his arms, Genji face was now plastered with a conspiratorially mischievous expression.

"If you don't have anything to do right now, how about a rematch?" he suggested slyly. "You didn't think I was just gonna igno—" But then something Kumiko couldn't see cut him off.

Hearing fast approaching footsteps, she spun in her seat to see who was coming.

The two boys sat on the bench and talked for awhile before the stranger stood up and began walking back and forth in front of Yamaguchi. He finally stopped and turned to face their classmate when Pon gasped.

"Isn't that Genji?" he all but screeched.

Mako elbowed him in the ribs again, knocking the noisy boy onto his butt with a soft _oomph_. Glaring up at his friend, Pon kicked Mako's ankle in revenge, earning him a disapproving look from their leader. He growled and crossed his arms dejectedly. Turning back to the park, Hiromi continued to watch the two boys, his brain working furiously to process each new development.

_They seem to know each other pretty well_, he thought,_ judging from the greeting Yamaguchi gave and the way they sat comfortably next to each other_. He paused, eying the serious expression on Genji's face. _But I'm sure they have other business together as well. This is certainly turning out to be an interesting day_. Beside him, Mako turned as if to speak.

"Let's get answers now," he said. Without bothering to reply, Kirishima straightened up and walked around the corner into the park. He could feel Mako at his right shoulder, calmly letting Hiromi take the lead. A little further behind them, Honjou followed, still nursing his injured pride. Never dropping his gaze from the two boys ahead, the leader of 2B watched as Genji noticed their approach. Seconds later, Yamaguchi turned, his jaw slackening somewhat as recognition showed in his eyes. _That's right, there's no escaping it this time_.

"Gu-guys!" their new friend stammered, clearly disarmed. "What are you doing here?" Genji frowned.

"What's the meaning of this, Kirishima?" he demanded.

"Back off Genji, we're not here for you," Hiromi barked, just about out of patience for the day. "You," he spat, glaring down at Yamaguchi, "we want answers. Real ones this time. Now." Behind him, he could hear Pon sigh and had to stop himself from smacking his friend. Yamaguchi rose from the bench, his defenses back up and a scowl on his face. Genji looked momentarily perplexed.

"You know these guys?" he asked, trying hard to catch up.

"They're my friends," Kumiko explained, "from school." She glared at the boys. "I thought you said we were free for the rest of today? And what's with the attitude?" Genji blinked, disbelieving of the notion that the heir to the Oedo Group would be taking orders from anyone, let alone some high school thugs.

"We know something went down with Rindaman last night. Something that you're not telling us." Kirishima ground his teeth together in frustration. "No more bullshit either. We consider you a friend, but not if you lie to us. Either we find out what's going on right now, or don't bother coming to school tomorrow!"

"Hey, watch yourself!" Genji snapped, stepping between the two. Anger flared up in his gut but he tamped it down. He had always been a bit protective of Kumiko, but he didn't really dislike Kirishima either.

Mako reached up and placed a hand on Hiromi's shoulder, indicating that it was not wise to pick a fight with one of their school's most infamous graduates, especially in his current state. Kirishima shook him off and shoved his hands in his pockets as a precaution. His friend was right. _I don't need to go doing anything stupid right now_. Yamaguchi's shoulders sank ever so slightly.

"What is it you think happened Hiromi?"

"We know some thugs got into it last night at a sandwich shop where Rindaman works. You say you saw him last night, which means that was the fight you mentioned." He paused, and then, "Oedo."

Kumiko's stomach plummeted. Beside her Genji shifted uncomfortably.

"We know they were involved as well," Kirishima continued, much more calmly now. "Tell me Yamaguchi, are you working for them, or are you merely friends? I've seen you with that man before. The yakuza with the scar across his eye." Kumiko blinked. _So he admits it_, the leader thought smugly. "You talked with him just awhile ago. I think you had better start talking to _us_ now."

Silence enveloped the group. Honjou shifted uncomfortably. He had never liked confrontations very much, unless they were the physical kind. And to him, this situation was less than undesirable. He liked their new classmate very much.

"It's not like we don't trust you Yamaguchi," he blurted out. "All Hiromi means to say is that we don't like being kept in the dark. Friends shouldn't have secrets, right?" Genji looked as though he was about to say something when Kumiko held up a hand to silence him. _Oh shit_, the Ryuseikai heir thought, recognizing the determined expression on her face. _She's gonna_...

"If it's that important to you, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" She looked each boy over carefully, thinking about how easily she could converse with Pon; how the silent and steady Mako had protected her back during the fight today; how Kirishima had declared that her battles were his as well. _If this is the end, then so be it. At least my conscience will be clear_. "Just remember that I'm still me, alright?" Hiromi and the others glanced at one another, not sure what to say.

"My Grandfather is the current Boss of the Oedo Group, and I am its one heir."


End file.
